Perswell Port

The party left Perswell with intent to solve the problems to the south of the city, in the valleys of grapes and apples. After a journey that brought them to the vineyard of the Daercag family, they laid down a plan to investigate the cause of the disturbances. Surveying the damage to the farmland and equipment used in harvest, and eying some odd tracking across the aisles of vines, they took their search into the wooded hillsides of the valley. There they were assailed by a group of sappers; creatures attuned to the Mana of the woods resembling shrubs that sprouted legs. In no time at all, they had dispatched their aggressors, burning and hacking them to ashen splinters. 

Feeling they left one partially alive, as far as they knew, they descended from the hills and decided to see if the thing had anything to do with the attacks on the vineyards. They fetched a wagon from Daercag's sheds, and made journey to a small village to the west named Ubhaltuit, or Applefall. Seeking the help of a local witch they believed could translate the language of the half-dead sapper, they met with Hilfard, a scholar of the woodlands. She proved incapable of decoding the sappers words, but brought the party through a breaking of the Mortal plane to a town (in the same place as Applefall) on the Falling Leaves plane. A moss spirit proved capable of helping the group. He told them of the sapper and its fellow's deeds, as well as their supposed location in a realm of eternal wilt. Hilfard gave them a carved stone idol she said they could use to bridge the gap between the Mortal world and the place of wilting, provided they locate the place they overlap.

They searched the hills of Daercag's valley, around the area they were attacked, and soon the one called Roth spotted the connection. On a pair of dead trees, ancient letters were carved to form sentences across the two of them, forming a rune-circled doorway. They used the idol, allowing its ancient magic to warp the land around them to that of the Wilt. Into the muck and rot they ventured, toward what they thought might be the sapper's base for their attacks. For all they knew, however, the entire plane was against them. Trees would twist and strain into unnatural positions after being seen in another, and the wet earth seemed to swallow them with every step. Surprise took them, however, when they finally found semblance of their quarry. Outside the mouth of a cave, they saw a gathering of several sappers. They were in a sleep of sorts, and Paola suggested taking them by surprise.  Even a perfect plan would've been ruined, however, as it seemed the corpses of men and orcs rose out of the spoiled earth and upset a fair number of our heroes. Salu, in particular, for as he was cutting the risen corpses of those claimed by this forest down with spells and steel, he was overwhelmed and only with the help of his fellows was he able to make it out with his life and dignity intact.

The party finished off the last of their enemies with a few brutal attacks, and turned their attentions to the cave. Using the sword dropped by the mad mage who attacked Gangkou as a light, they made their way into the dark, wet tunnel. It seemed like the entrance to a small mining operation, carved into fickly shifting earth. Their steps took them to a cavern with sure signs of resource collection, with carts laden with chunks of earth and switchback pathways extending down into a deep chasm. Veins of a magical, plum-colored ore pulsed with an eerie light from cracks in the earth, surrounded by chunks of the wall blasted out by the violently rapid growth of magical plants. A winch started to wind up a thick chain across the gap, causing a large crane extended halfway out to their side to sound with a great rattling. The group hid themselves behind the mining equipment. Upon a rising platform some 40 feet across stood the enormous creature, what must have been the one to destroy the valley: The Catoblepas.

Accompanied by a group of sappers who held onto long chains attached to hooks in the Catoblepas' hide, it must have been brought up for another foray into the valley. However, before the platform could fully rise level with the dock at the top of the mine, the ever-enterprising Raquim let fly a fiery ball to burn the ropes that kept the platform attached to the large chain along the crane. The sappers panicked, and leapt off the platform. The Catoblepas' panic was far more destructive, for as it was pelted with magical and mundane attacks from the party, it broke its restraints and hurled itself onto the dock, dragging the platform after it. The party fought with the sappers as the Catoblepas splintered a large wooden doorway, charging out of the mine with a great force.

They killed the sappers, with some falling into the chasm. They left the mine to chase after the Catoblepas, and saw the results of its hysteria as the trail to follow. Soon finding themselves in a settlement torn apart by the rampaging Catoblepas, the stalwart Paola challenged the beast by hurling a ball of muck at its haunches. It swung itself around, and charged at the party. They drew upon some unknown reserve of power, and it was dead in seconds.

Bit of info

For those you you that wish to know someting more about the world that my idea takes place in here we go.

The town of Ludvid is a border town on the outskirts of the empire. It is here that the illness is origanating. The town is full of fear over this plauge. People try to live out their lives as best they can, but the people of Ludvid are a shadwo fo their former selves.. The fear of getting ill lingers in their every thought. To this end the Count who owns these lands senses the danger of letting this plauge spread and has quaratened the village. He has also set about finding men to help him solve this problem. For if this plauge was allowed to spread who knows what devastation itcould bring.

For those of you interested more in what the empire is like allow me to ellaborate. It is a collective of several different territories and races. Obviously led by the emperor himself. A man that is legend to never age and has been around for over 100 years. Few poeple ever truly see him not even his vassels have layed eyes upon him. His goal is for total unification of the land and to bring with that unifacation, learning, prosperity and justice. At this time his armies lie dormate in the northern reaches of the empire and he focuses on his eastern front. Where he plans on stopping the costal elven raiders there.

That's about it for now. If I think of more I'll edit the post unless we meet before than.

Setting the Scene

As I was told that this idea needs some more umph behind it, I will now set up the opening scene to pique your interest.

The room brigthens as a servant lights the candles in the study. He motions for the men gathered in the room to make themselves at home. He pours the men wine, hands them a pamphlet, and exits the room. The men gathered around begin to examine the parchment.

As you requested, Sir, I have examied the bodies of those with the illness both live and departed. When one contracts this illness their very lives are stripped away. The subject becomes lethargic and non-responsive. Shortly after contracting the disease, the subject's body breaks out into a severe rash. Within two or three days, their skin begins to flake and tear, while the subject vomits vile, blackish ichor. Shortly after this period of purging the subject dies in agony. 

Now, Sir, this is the part that leads us to our current problem. About an hour after death the subject seems to reanimate. No amount of rational thought remains and they lash out at any within reach. As instructed by Captain Tweed, the bodies are put in the "Section" and promptly burned. However, there are many villagers that refuse to let us do this, which only adds to our problems, sire. Hopefully, your team comes to help us soon.
Your humble servant,
Shamus

The men all sit around in the study, each lost in their own thoughts, only now fully understanding what the Count has asked of them. Just then the door opens and the servant beckons them to proceed into the Count's private chambers...

A Thought

I was thinking one day and came up with a simple adventure we could play if you guys are interested. It would be a simple, first level adventure, with the chance to expand into something bigger if it takes off. 

Alright so here's the idea.

There's a plague that is spreading among the outskirts of an empire. Farmers and simple village folk are quickly falling ill, eventually vomiting blood before passing on. They refuse to rest, however, and rise to attack any living thing within reach. If this plague is allowed into the heart of the empire, who knows what could happen?

With this thought in his mind the elderly Count Holint has called upon those willing and able to find the cause of this plague and eliminate it. He is willing to offer a reward if needed but feels that surely the just men of the empire will rise to the occasion.

So that's the idea. Again, the game would be a simple 1st level game using the 3.5 edition of D&D. Also, it would only use the races and classes and so on from the PHB. This is to simplify the character creation.

Previously... on D&D 4E

Dramatis Personae:
Akhre - male Dragonborn Ranger
Deinos - male human, former king of Pikespire (deceased)
Elwood the Crazed - male Dragonborn Fighter
Haerax - male Lizardfolk, Locust smuggler and idiot (deceased)
Rodrago - male human Rogue
Sterling - male human, steward of Pikespire Keep
Thannis - male Eladrin Wizard
Vierda - female human, Locust smuggler
And some other dudes whose names escape me

Act the First
Deinos is myseriously dead and our heroes are hired to help fulfill his last wish - to be buried in the ancestral tombs. However, the tombs have not been used in quite a while so it is their job to go clean the place up.

Inside, they encounter some Goblins as well as a mysteriously wounded Purple Worm. Upon arriving at the tombs themselves, they find an abandoned campsite as well as the remains of some letters. The scraps make mention of Deinos, Sterling - the current steward of Pikespire Keep, and something called Locust. They recall that Sterling has been acting strange, but that may be due to the stress of being the new de facto ruler of a reasonably-sized city.

Part B
Our heroes return to Pikespire an quickly learn of a drug called Locust from Sterling who is acting very calmly all of a sudden. Immediately grasping the connection, they decide to aid the guards in tracking down the traffickers. Radrago does some stuff. Than Elwood does some other stuff. I can't remember whether Thannis did anything or not. Then Akhre did some sleeping and was mysterious.

They go to one of the major trade checkpoints in the city and quickly spot a set of carriages carrying what look to be drugs. Thannis tosses a fireball at it, but instead of releasing the drugs, two Barghests burst out while a robed woman and a hulking Lizardfolk attempt to escape in the chaos.

Thannis, Akhre, and Elwood fight off the Barghests, protecting the crowd because the guards suck. Meanwhile, Rodrago is all "screw this" and doggedly chases down the two criminals. After an admittedly pretty cool chase scene, he manages to capture the Lizardfolk but the woman manages to escape.

No drugs are found in the carriage, leading our heroes to suspect foul play. They do find a map that reveals its contents upon being burned. It has several underground areas of Pikespire specially marked and it has a note telling Vierda to lay low until the funeral.

Day Three
Our heroes do some digging. Elwood contacts a Kobold and offers him a job as a guide to the underground areas of the city. Rodrago looks into setting up a guild. Thannis drinks while Akhre watches.

They are eventually led to an abandoned inn/gambling house. After making their way past a few puzzles and traps, they descend below the surface of Pikespire into a series of caves which appear to be a criminal hideout.

They enter a lavish room, more lavish than you'd think a den of thieves would be. But the doors slam closed and three beings appear before them. The place is evidently guarded by a Carnage Demon and two Imp-like demons. Our heroes take down the creatures but the encounter reinforces the idea that if the criminals have made some sort of deal with the devils, then things might not be all they appear to be.

The PCs go up to the door and are just about to open it. Meanwhile, above ground, a good chunk of the city as well as a substantial amount of the military begin the funeral procession.

And what the hell. If you have the means, knock yourself up a level to 4th. You'll need it.
-------

I am unavailable Friday evening over this break, but that's really it.

Soapbox - Thanksgiving 2: Cornucopia of Vengeance

Arright. We'll all be in town around the weekend of Thanksgiving, with myself arriving on Wednesday of that week. As the last thing we all played with everyone together was my SAME game, I assume it is everyone's wish to play Ace of Spades' 4th Edition game.

If you're up to doing it, this post can serve as a place for you to provide any pertinent information regarding the game. That is, again, if you feel it necessary. Just edit whenever you have time.

I, for one, would like a recap. I'm aware of my character's ambitions, but I forget the extent to which we'd gotten into the service of the state, and what our next move was going to be or if we'd even decided on one...

____

[Placeholder.]

Soapbox - Breaking News

Fallout 3 is worth every cent.

That is all.

___

Alright, I guess I'm not done yet. 

I've worked on the character sheet for SAME, but it's still not to the point I want it. 

"What?" you ask? "I thought you'd re-done it already." 

Yes, that is correct. However, things I make can always stand to improve or be improved.

I'll be heading back home soon, probably next week (November 8th.) I would like to play some games; if you guys have ideas, I'm all ears. 

I've started a new campaign here with the same group from last year sans one member, using the Lord of Roads prompt. It's been a success, I suppose. If you guys are interested I can wax more on the subject, but I won't waste your time or patience with it.

On the subject of games, I hope that around Thanksgiving we might be able to find time to play either Alex's game or mine, seeing as [I would hope] Bryan might be around to join us. If you have pressing information regarding such a scenario, either in favor of or against, please present such.

Bang Bang

So as I was peruzing my channels on the tube I happened apon one of my favorite films, Tombstone. And it got me a thinking about a favorite subject of mine, the Wild West. So I was storming up some things here and ther you know, so I thought I'd see if you guys were even interested. Basic concepts are below. Ther's more a stweing but these are just a few.

- A few young law men break onto the scene of a gunslinging town and are out to make a name

- A brash set of bandits robs a train and are now on the run

- Them darn indians are causing problems and some boys are sent to take care of them

- After a rough night of drinking a group of bandits (the Pcs) find themselves locked up

Soapbox - Updates

ARTLESS:

First off, I've gone through and edited some of the pages on the site, though some unfinished portions are still in their working stages. Some of the pages I worked on are Agartha>Religion (upload, basically porting over the wisemen post) Agartha>Agartha and the Planes (minor edits and a short blurb), and SAME Information (reworked some things, uploaded edited sheet.) I'm going to re-tool the site's structure so that important pages can be accessed quickly, like the SAME stuff or your character pages. At the moment, it takes a couple clicks, and there's only one page that links them.

At present, I'm a bit busy with schoolwork, but I'm working on the writeup for the continents and sub-continents, and I'm looking to finish the Religions section soon. I'm still not done with the new character sheets, but what I've got left for it should be relatively quick to do. After that is finishing the Magic page, and then uploading other sections I'm still roughing out.

If you have matters you want to speak about, edit this post or comment.

EDIT: Link to possible games for the weekend: Here.

Fitting the Peices IV

Orcs:
The orcs of Kelba are indeed a unique breed. They possess a greater understanding of the world and use their brains along with their might. Mighty warriors of fierce regard, these people also excel in the worlds of commerce and politics. Their skill has allowed them to build a vast empire of sorts, their cities are grand and full of skilled craftsmen. Most of the Kelborian coast is theirs and they are arguable the most powerful race to live on Kelba. Their trade ports and skilled warriors have won them much, however their inner politics can always turn for the worse. The Orcish clans are known for being underhanded and two-faced.

They stand about 7ft tall, without slouching. Their frames are broad and muscular with heavy torsos, and thick, broad shoulders. Long, almost boar-like tusks protrude from the bottom of their gaping jaws, and a small set of red eyes burn in their skulls. Their hair is thick and dark or entirely nonexistent. Although they may appear savage they are indeed very intelligent.


The Clans:

Clans are large groups of orcs with a particular belief held common by all members within the clan. Although a clan can be of many tribes sometimes it is merely one very large tribe. Here are the three prominent clans in orcdom now.

Clan Eye Gouger:
The last of the founding to clans to still hold power after the dragon wars, the Eye Gougers are a militaristic clan. They are a throwback in beliefs , using might more than wits. They war with the ogres in the southeastern stretch of orcish influence. Over the years they have culled the ogre numbers so only minor tribes remain. Even now they sharpen their axes to eliminate the rest of the ogres within their domain. It is this clan that has spilled the most blood out of all the remaining clans, and they aren't done yet. Under orders from the Gouger himself they have taken Olde Ingston, a fortress left in ruin, and have began to reconstruct it. They have also taken over the orcish trade town of Tempest, slaughtering all who would not join their clan. They sit poised, waiting for their chance to strike further inland.

Clan Iron Guts:
Largest of the ruling clans, Iron Guts have made their name in trade and subterfuge, using the old knife in the back if they can't acquire what they want with gold. They are the schemers and politicians of the orcs. Due to this they hold the orcish crown jewel, the trade city of Black Well. Largest and most grand of the trade cities, Black Well has contact with more outsiders than any other orc port. Due to this their craftsmen are the finest, their skill refined with trade. However when the council senses a threat this mercantile goliath can become just as deadly a force as the Eye Gougers. Be wary if you anger one if this clan, a knife in the dark won't be far behind.

Clan Stone Fist:
Perhaps the most beset of the clans, they suffer constant raid from Gahl and his ogres to the west. To the east lies Clan Iron guts looking to assimilate all their power will let them. They hold the aptly named city of High wall and have been known as survivors and defense specialists. They have felt the pains of the brief ogre occupation and it has left them bitter. When Iron guts refused to aid the beleaguered clan they had to rely only on themselves. Only recently was their High Marshall found dead killed, by Iron gut assassins. Truly they are entering a bleak time.

Fitiing the peices III

Humans:

The humans of Kelba are a rough and sordid lot. Each individual and each tribe and village are different. They hold no one particular belief system or even social structure. Each tribe/village seems to have it's own set of myths and fancy [Editor's note: not exactly sure what you meant right there.] There are some myths that are accepted by many but mainly it's each for their own. The humans of Kelba tend to be short and thick shouldered. Dark, thin hair adorns their heads and blue eyes are almost unheard of. Other than that they come in a wide range and variety. Be they the grim face goat herders or the vicious horse nomads of the Kahl tu.

The Kahl tu are gonna be used as an example of a human tribe so bear with me. The vicious horse nomads of southeastern Kelba are a mysterious lot. Each one seems to be a maze of tattoos depicting their beliefs. The Kahl tu worship three different gods and show this in their markings. The spiral is the symbol of Aukee the god of fate. It is his hand that leads the Kahl tu on their way. The dots are of Ihwa, godess of war. It is her might and prowess that guides their blades. Lastly the tirangle, which represents Pesti, the three headed god of life. He is the one that shows the cycle of life the the Kahl tu. Theses nomads make the south east of Kelba their stomping grounds, from the Trade city of Tempest to the ruins of Olde Ingston they ride.

Fitting more peices

Ok so I know I said I wont have web acess till Thurday or so, but I got to borrow someones cp for a little to make this post. Fear not leave yer questions at the door and I will reply to them when my nets up again.

The next thing I would love to look at racially for kelba is the elves.

Elves
Now there are no Kelborion elves nor any nation of elves. Their time is long gone and past. The few elves that still walk the world are shrouded in mystery. Nothing is left of their cities or culture. They are only mentioned as myths and in legend. Yet the few that remain travel mysteriously, doing whatever it is they desire. Rumors run abroad that the Dragon Lord himself is one of these fabled peoples. As to what the elves look like it is said that they stand tall and majestic. Their skin seems to be a flawless white as of pure snow, their eyes of the deepest hues in nature. Each one seems to almost have a part of nature within themselves. However behind this beautiful apperance lies an iron will and a capable body. In the times of old the elves were feared for their martial prowess more than their wisdom. Indeed if it wasn't for their sudden departure form this world they could indded hold power over much of it.

Fitting some peices

Well after talking with Josh and such I've decided to do an installment about one of the main races in Kelba just to freshen things up abit.

Ogres

Lets face it ogres far and wide are renowned for a great many things: brute strength, bad tempers, bad smells and their simplistic manners. I really wanted to change the view on them in a sense and this is waht I have so far. Mind you this is just a rough cut.

The ogres of Kelba are a feirce people. They live and die by the sword(or club), making their lives mainly as reavers and raiders. All things and all people are in their sights as the expand along the westren coasts and in small spots in the eastern crags. Huge bulking creatures they are, like a man in most ways except enlarged. Their necks are thick muscle and almost nonexsitent, their faces abit enlogated given them an animalistic apperance. And they always have greasy thick hair sprouting from their faces, wheither beard or foo man chu they are always rugged. Their skin is thick and leather akin to that of a steer, it is said that a grown man can stabbinto a ogre with a spear and the ogre will hardly flinch. Besids the grim and dust on this race they have a rather good sense of cunning and even have been quite apt at basic strategems. All to the shock of their opposition of course.

Moving to their more renowned beliefs, they are as simple as the ogres themselves, yet they have their own complexity. In the ogre culture the act of eating in itself is considered religion. They belive like many other cultures that you are what you eat. Therefor if you eat the enemy's bravest you shall inherit their bravey and so on. Simply put the gut is the focal point of ogre religion and culture. The gut symbolizes power, wealth and frankly girth. As in most culures the fatter you are the better of you are and their is no difference for it here.

Lastly a look at as of now the biggest name in all ogredom, Warmonger Gahl. Gahl is the "khan" that hold the most power in the wetern coast by the orcish city of Highwall. He has on numerous occasions taken hold of the port city only to be rpulsed shortly after. He also helped lift the rule of the Dragon Lord unwittedly when he killed and than ate one of the Dragon Lords top stratergist. This is what most believe to have given him is inert aptitiude for his stratergies as of now. As of late though he has refocused himself on "procuering" hulks to take his riaders to the pride jewl of all orcdom Blackwell, the trading capital of Kelba

Website!

Not to detract from Kyle's post, but I've just finished something I hope will make things less cluttered around here. Not that they were, but I was bored and wanted to snazz up the presentation of our work.

I've decided to use Google Pages to divide the content we create or discuss to two categories; content that is finalized for our home games, and content still in production. Content still undergoing discussion or creation should be posted here, on the blog. Content that is finalized for use in a campaign can be uploaded to the website so it'll have pretty headings and neat-o formatting.

In the future I'd like to use the blog for ideating for new material, general discussion, and for getting schedule updates. I've upped a couple of my posts to the site with some minor revisions, so please refer to that from now on when looking for my completed work. I can easily add in any content you guys want added, or, if you want, make a page using their new Sites service that works like a wiki, so you can upload your own content. I'll add a link to the "Affiliated Sites" sidebar for easy access.

UPDATE: I decided to get a lead on things before Google ends their support for Pages and moves things over to Sites. I made a new Site, and I'll be adding you guys as authors. Remember, I'd like the Site to be a place for finished work or background information, cordoned off from our development on the blog.

You can visit the site here.

Reworking the Clock

So way back in the day, I ran this session or three that took place in a war torn land called Kelba. Well going through my notes I read through and well put more thought in it and here I shall at the very least show off a bit of it. Opinons would be a great help as well.



Kelba is a cold war torn land. It has wide spreading plains and lowlands. Most predominately i sthe wide range of steppes that cover the landscape. Juttering crags leap out more and you head north ward towards the infamous Dragon Spine Mountains. And towards the coast line the land becomes rocky and barren. Trading barges dock in here, trading in the huge city walls of the orchish bastions and cities.

Ore scatter all across the land but wood is a rare, and mostt of it is brought in via the trade routes. Other than the costal cities of the orcs the rest of Kelba is occupied with small hamlets ad roving bands of nomads. All whit their own beleifs and virtues. Various decaying towers and ruins blocth the lands north. These ruins stand as remebrants of when the Dragon Lord and his hordes came over the mountains and made war in Kelba.

The people of Kelba are staight forward and brash. Their is no time to beat arund the bushes here. When your main source of survial is the meek life of goat herding or raiding, their is little time to draw things out. In the orchish cities though things are much different trade is highly valued, crafts are refined, it is a mix of culture. The flux and flow of Kelba lies in the hand of the orcs and how they desire to do bussiness for better and for worse they control the main life blood of the land.

However the other races can not be ruled out tehmselves. Humans although they hold no key stones to the real political aspects of Kelba they are Kelba. They make the majority of what Kelba is they live it. The Ogres can not be over looked either. They are sound reavers, and raiders and have on several occasions chnged the out set of Kelba's fate.

Setting Details - Systems

This is a quick write-up about some of the systems at work in the setting. It's not complete, but I felt it would be good for you guys to know about some of the things I'm working on. For you.

Eventually it will be a complete "essay" with fully written examples and detailed explanations, but at present its a bit content-lite.

Take a gander.

Setting Details - Orginizations

I briefly mentioned in a previous article the Red Knights, and I thought perhaps I should elaborate more on some of the organizations you're likely to encounter in your travels. Let me know if you have some organizations or types thereof you've come up with or want to see.

The Red Knights - The Red Knights have long been a sort of paramilitary force that has kept the peace in northeastern Nurtland. They are considered by many to be the best warriors around, as their recruitment process and job details actively weed out anyone not up to snuff. They pick new members from exemplary Nurtland soldiers or nobility wishing to improve their position, ones with certain qualities of character that meet the Red Knight's code of conduct. A few of the tenants that all members must abide are:

1. Suffer not those who harm the sanctity of citizen or country.
2. Protect the Royal Family at all cost.

3. Never jeopardize your fellow Knight. Consider every possible option before acting on a situation.

4. Prostrate to those greater than you. Your service will reward you.
5. If you fail to uphold the honor of the Red Knights, your retribution will be swift and just.

 

The Knights have several chapters, even within their own designation as a major force among the Nurtland military. They are fully backed by religious and political leaders in key Nurtland cities. Officers limit their recruitment strictly to loyal, and more importantly, human, citizens, though on more than one occasion they have made exceptions for Elves and Therians of high standing among the general populous. They have never had an orc member; since the founding of the Knights they have been almost zealous in their misalignment to the orcs of Tigris. Since the Fyrissians aren't within walking distance, they don't much care about them.

Pact of the Wood

Out in the wilderness of Lemuria there is a myriad of potential threats, and long ago a group of capable wizards and men-at-arms put the time in to make sure those threats never bothered them. After a series of brutal and deadly skirmishes, the creatures of the bogs and rot decided it would be best to agree to an armistice rather than face a route from Agartha. Since then, followers of the Pact of the Wood have been able to toss their stake into Falling Leaves, a place of wilting and putrid plant life, a city of many magical opportunities. Falling Leaves is where many alchemists and apothecaries go to gather precious materials used in many medicines and magical draughts. It is a mushroom mecca, where the seekers of the most potent drugs and hallucinogens gather to trip out on magic fungi and reap the benefits of the spore-laced airs. Staying just one hour in Falling Leaves is enough to cure even the most pervasive ennui, it is said.

To become a follower of the Pact, one need only undergo the Trial of the Grass, to see if you are truly adherant to the peacemaking contract set by the first Agarthan visitors to Falling Leaves. The upcoming follower is made to swallow several alchemical mixtures and wear various unguents that will impart startling visions and align the participant's spirit to the realm of Falling Leaves. If the engaging person is able to pass the Trial, they forever become immune to plant-based poisons whether magical or natural, and they are allowed passage to Falling Leaves. Failure to pass means death, as the hopeful Pactbound's body is filled with innumerable mundane and magical poisons and toxins, until their body becomes compost.

On the Rim - Next Session Primer

Perswell Port

Perswell Port is a major thoroughfare for northeastern Tigris, and a fine city in its own right. It is not technically part of the Nurtland Kingdom, but it owes a great debt to its ruler for aiding them in the Tribal Wars.

It's the tail end of autumn in the greater bay area. Julian fills the party in on a few details about the area, and tells them they can find lodging in the Port at his guild's tavernhouse. He mentions breifly the coming Midwinter Festival, saying that by the time he gets back from his next trip he hopes he can sit down for a drink with you all.

News has been coming in, albeit slowly, of a stirring amongst the orchish tribes in the wooded hills to the west, though about what no one can tell. It's been eight generations since the Red Knights' hard-won victory over the invading nomads, and since then the disparate orcs have been too obsessed with their tribal infighting, they haven't been able to really strike back. There's talk that some tribes farther to the north, near Gaea's Many Faces (a large and abrupt cliff face that effectively splits the land into southeastern Enlil and northeastern Tigris,) have recruited into their ranks tribes of Yeti, though this is mostly vague rumor and heresay. Still, it's not something to take lightly. Perswell Port, though well protected from atack by sea by a veritable fleet of guild ships ready to lay down their lives to protect their livelihood, is virtually defenseless from the mainland. Red Knight patrols venture to the port every once in a while, but they are now more concerned with protecting Nurtland's recent ventures into the wildlands of Enlil.

There is also this news about some outlying island villages in Midgard being razed. Cultural bias and historical precedence points the finger solely at the Jordelfen, though there has been talk of one or more packs of feral Lupines wreaking havoc in that frozen land. Of the handful of survivors of these attacks, a few of them recount seeing serpent-headed ships flying under blue canvas, a trait not unheard of for some clans of Jordelfen. However, the Jordelfen clans who might do such deeds have not been seen outside of their icy iron holds for more than two hundred years. The few clans that do not have a reputation for murderous war have also been rather quiet for a while, though this is not unusual. It may be a sign of something more dire to come, or it may just be isolated cases.

The Vigilant enters into the Bay, presenting Perswell Port. The city rises up the hills to the north. Leaves cling desperately to the trees that cover the countryside, carts, wagons and caravans line the streets with the last harvest and goods to trade. Many ships are moored in the bay, more still up at the docks. Gigantic chains rise up out of the waters, hung from unseen anchors high up in the clouds. The brick-laden roads of Perswell Port are covered in fallen leaves, and many of its citizens are enjoying the last of the warm weather before the looming cold sweeps in, bringing heavy snow. Stepping into the Merchant Horizon tavernhouse, they are told many stories of the city's recent joys and recent troubles.

For instance, there was a great celebration when the third prince of the Nurtland line held his wedding ceremony in the cliffside Temple of the Sea, and in the summer there was the slaying of the wyrm Nylffund, who had terrorized the outlying farmlands for decades. Though, with his death, it seemed a greater threat moved in to fill the gap. Many of the orchards responsible for the city's considerable wine and cider exports have wilted to nothingness by a pack of roaming sappers, led by a great beast said to stand 18 feet high when reared, and covered in a thick hide that shines with a wicked glint. There's also that business in the Cliffs. Many children and women have gone missing, and some suspect it might be trolls. A pack of trolls is one thing, but if it's the size it's rumored to be, there might be cause to panick.

____

So there you have it. I'd like to jump right into playing next time we meet. If we can game this weekend after Dark Knight, all the better. If not, we can figure out the time and date whenever it's convenient. Edit: Added a quick sentence. I thought I wrote the chains bit for another city, but it seems I was mistaken.

It's all part of the plan...

aHAhaHAHAhahahaHAhaheeheehohohahaHAheeHEE

The Dark Knight runs on Friday, July 18th at the following times:

11:45 am
12:30 pm
1:15 pm
3:00 pm
3:45 pm
4:30 pm
6:15 pm
7:00 pm
7:45 pm
9:30 pm
10:15 pm

Strangely, there is no midnight showing. Unless it hasn't been added to the schedule yet.

I can make any of those showings to the best of my knowledge. I'll have to get more details on my scheduling tomorrow to confirm.

You dudes can also talk about attempting to game together if you want. Unless another game wants to enter the running, 4e will resume at the next meeting I would guess. You have been 4warned.

Previously...

Dramatis Personae
Akhre, ranger (dragonborn male)
Elwood the Crazed, fighter (dragonborn male)
Rodrago, rogue (human male)
Thannis, wizard (eladrin male)

After defeating a band of goblin bandits, killing a set of vicious guard drakes and putting a raging gigantic cave worm out of its misery, our heroes have cleared a way to the ancestral burial ground. However, there is evidence to suggest that things are not all as they seem.

Among the tombs and caverns were what look like the remains of campsites and hovels, giving the appearance of a recently-abandoned base of operations for something. Particularly incriminating are the charred remnants of a note. It looks like it was an evacuation order for whoever was in the cave. In addition, what's left of the order makes reference to Sterling, Deinos, and someone (or something) called Locust...

Baby, we can make this work

It's just gonna take some time, and a lot of effort. It'll be a while, but I know that someday I may learn to love again...

This week, chowdaheads. It's the weekend of the 4th, which is bullshit, but I fully expect you guys to be able to pull enough strings to fucking game sometime in the two days after that. 3 weeks between games is too much, considering the ratio of gaming:non-gaming weekends we've had in the past. If this is a paradigm shift, I'm not for it.

These games aren't gonna play themselves; they aren't FF12.

ZING!

ATTENTION

We are to commence the playing of SAME sometime in the near future. Should your schedule not allow it, bollocks. Otherwise, a merry time will be had by all that attend.

So says Josh, the Morbid Authority.

Everything you knew about D&D is about to change... 4ever.

4get what you thought you knew! 4sake the old traditions and get ready to 4ge a new path!

Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition

Bare-bones Background:
We open our story in the bustling village of Pikespire. A modestly-sized town, it is well-known on account of its fortuitous location at the crossroads of several major trading routes. It has few attractions of its own to speak of, but it is still a sight to see.

The town attracts all kinds and it is not uncommon to cross paths with a hulking Dragonborn prize-fighter, a squad of the King’s finest soldiers (whether they’re marching for battle or for a brothel) or a silver-tongued Tiefling merchant selling all manner of wondrous and fantastic items, sometimes all at once on the same day.

The only attraction that the place can really call its own is Pikespire Keep, the castle that overlooks the city named for it. The castle is home to Lord Sterling, a kind-hearted and well-loved ruler, who could be seen each week walking with the commoners, always happy to listen to their thoughts and opinions no matter how small their owner.

Or it was his home, at any rate. His life was taken from him only too early, just days after our heroes have entered the town, having just been brought together through some combination of battle and treasure. Their modest exploits quickly made the rounds of the town and were inflated to involve villainous dragons, squads of bloodthirsty Orcs and a beautiful princess in distress.

The Situation:
Contacted by the Lord’s aid and current steward of Pikespire Keep, a man named Deinos, the party has been called upon to help make Sterling’s dying wish a reality. Specifically, he wished to be buried in the tombs south of the city with his long-deceased ancestors.

The problem is that the tombs have gone unused and unexplored for close to a century and nobody knows what may have set up shop in the meantime. In exchange for a certain sum of coins and other possible non-monetary rewards, they have been contracted to clear a route to the old ancestral burial chamber.

CHARACTER BUILDING

CHARACTERS ARE FIRST LEVEL.

Ability Scores:
Keep it simple. Roll 4d6, drop lowest score, reroll any ones.

Races:
Dragonborn: The proud warrior heirs of an ancient, fallen empire. Dragon-people.
Dwarf: Tough, gritty heroes from the mountains. The same as you remember.
Eladrin: Otherworldly, mysterious, graceful and intelligent. Basically high elves.
Elf: Quick, quiet and yet wild. Basically every other kind of elf not called a drow.
Half-Elf: Outgoing, enthusiastic leaders with the blood of two races.
Halfling: Affable, warm and cheerful. Much the same as they’ve always been.
Human: Decisive and resourceful, the most versatile of the races. Also familiar.
Tiefling: Heroes with a dark side. Part of an infernal bloodline. Again, familiar.

Classes:
Strikers – Specialize in dealing high damage to single targets.
Ranger: Concentrates on ranged attacks or dual-wielding. Relies on speed and mobility.
Rogue: The cunning and elusive backstabber you all know and love.
Warlock: Channel arcane energy taken from primal entities. Resourceful and secretive

Defenders – Tough heroes with the power to contain the enemy while keeping allies safe.
Fighter: Determined martial adepts who beat foes into submission at the front lines.
Paladin: Indomitable warriors who have pledged their skills to a greater power.

Leaders – Strengthen and bolster your allies while still keeping the heat on the enemies.
Cleric: Leaders, pledged to the gods, who heal allies and then improve their offense.
Warlord: The inspiring commander and master tactician known for martial prowess.

Controllers – Exert control over the chaotic battlefield and affect multiple foes at once.
Wizard: Masters of the magical energies and experts of arcane lore.

Equipment:
You have 100 gp each to spend on whatever you want.

Other Requirements:
A sentence or three about motivations, personality and history of your character. Again, keep it simple. If you can think of an interesting way to relate any of your characters to each other, that's cool, but hardly required.

-------------

If you happen to have access to the rules, go nuts. If not, there’ll be character-building time, I’m sure. It doesn’t eat up a terribly huge chunk of time, which is cool.

As you might know, I've been pretty excited for this edition. I've got some stuff prepared and I think it'll be generally a fun experience. It'd be in the general setting that comes with 4e and would be, at first, a return to basics as far as adventuring goes.

I'm not actually sure if any other games besides SAME are carrying over into the summer schedule, however.

Thoughts on 4th Ed.

Having spent some time with the books in question, indeed a great amount of my time at work is spent, not toiling over documents or spreadsheets, but merely browsing the new edition's features, I feel I should collect my thoughts on the matter.

I must say that although my cynicism prevents me from ever remarking upon it's supposed greatness, the new edition isn't altogether bad.

I know, what a shock. They have succeeded in making an exception-based system, and have too succeeded in making me mildly enthused to see the game in practice. (I greatly enjoyed the PA/WotC podcast, though that may be in part to Mike, Scott and Jerry and less in part to Wizards.) The greatest point of contention, at least for me, from 3rd Edition has largely been done away with, in that there is no disparity between supposed and real power levels of certain class mixtures or distillations. The way they have accomplished this is by doing away with high-level play altogether.

Yes, while the level range has increased by a "whopping" 10 levels, characters rarely do anything of import throughout those 30 levels. That isn't to say that this kind of play is bad; it isn't. It's just... really lame. Or at least, it is when compared to 10-20 of 3rd edition. My current campaign is quite like the way things are set up in 4th edition, but for D&D it's a step outside the norm for things to be this toned-down.

There are a number of welcome additions, though these ideas have been proposed by members of the gaming community and therefore are less original ideas from WotC and more neutered copycats. The most prominent in my eyes being the caveat for how civilization can thrive when most of the time they last for two weeks before the new chief of state is appointed by Holy Word right up the King's ass. That being: the world is largely a dark and twisted expanse filled with danger and magic saturates the whole of it. Some places more than others, and that is where we arrive at explanations for both how people survive for any length of time, and why anyone bothers with building shit. Everybody is living together in huddled fear of what's going to eat them next, but at least they can rest easy in their home city, or "points of light" as they are called in the DMG. What's also nice is a retuning of the economy, though to what extent that retuning fixes the bullshit is unclear to me at present.

On the Rim Act 1

Important characters. Bold indicates a new character.

Raquim al Sadher
Salu of the Wastes
Paola Peakeli
Hou Shan and Yan Jiang
Baccay of Tempest Roost
Julian, Captain of the Merchant Vessel The Vigilant

The party of three companions set out, after a little inquiry toward their captain, on a large three-masted ship. Their destination: Tigris; Perswell Port to be precise. On the roughly two-week journey they stop at a port city in Fyriss called Tempest Roost, for supplies and contracted shipments to be brought along the voyage. On the ancient stone walkways of the mist-veiled harbor walk many queer folk, including a startling saturation of Pantherans. The tall, robust folk pay little attention to these newcomers to their fog-hidden city, though they remark upon them the dangers of the Ghostwinds, and warn them of their gravity. Left with roughly a day or two to their own devices, the party sees no great opportunity other than what may be drunk in a quaint, rose-lit teahouse. Surveying the strange customs of the Fyrissians, they sip idly at fragrant potables, all while keenly aware of their awkward placement. Paola endeavors to speak with a seasoned Striped One, who calmly indulges him with a gesture imploring patience.
Soon, a shrill wail can be faintly heard in the distance. "Ghostwinds..." whispers the Striped One with a worried look upon his features. Several people make for the door, only to be tarried by the deathly visage of a Wraith, the corrupted essence of dead Wind elementals. A ghostly blue hand snakes along the inside of the door frame, and the hazy form of the thing looms into the empty space. Its eternal pall unnerves the house patrons, but the party is quick to ward them of this threat. Almost totally massless and ever-shifting, the Wraith provides an interesting challenge to most, but not quite enough to worry our stalwart protagonists. When the thing is finished and the teahouse neatly secured for the time being, the Striped One introduces himself as Baccay of Tempest Roost, and requests the party's aid in a matter of great urgency. It is coming to be the time of year when the most dire of Ghostwinds sweeps across the island, and Baccay is hoping to relieve his fair city of the grief. He lays this task upon the party, promising substantial reimbursement for their services.

Items in party's care. Bold indicates new items.

Smoldering Longsword. Flame attack. Attuned.
Flameseal. Flame attack. Attuned.
Sulfrite Bracer. Flame Resistance. Attuned.
Yan Barb. Flame Resistance. Attuned.
Blue Meteora Edge. Light attack. Attuned.
Manawood Rosary. Leaf Resistance. Attuned.
Collena Tome. Ranged Light attack. Attuned.
Two Lesser Fire Elemental cores.
One Lesser Earth Elemental core.
One Lesser Wind Elemental core.
Various items, including 280 silver coins and one camel. Bandoleer of Regenerative Doses. Potted Plant.

Soapbox

So, with the close of this week (as far as I'm aware), the only thing stopping all of us from convening at the same time should be job schedules. With my job, it will be a normal full-time 9-5 deal, so that's where I stand with it.

---

For this week, I would really like to play some SAME. You know, get that story started up again. So, if you all could provide some times you would be available over the weekend, that'd be neat.

I completely forgot about posting this yesterday. My deepest apologies.

Here is the information I promised.

Need a couple opinions

I'm doing my last game with the group here at MIAD, and I sorta wanted your guys' opinions on the setup for the last session.

Here it is.

Setting Details - Who are the Wisemen?

Long story short...
Since before the descendants of Torris split the Hong kindgom thricewise, (about 4000 years ago by current reckoning [the current year is 35 of the (S)econd (E)ra]) there have been legends that spake the names of the Wisemen.

"The Wisemen," a term that has become their unofficial title ever since the various legends were collected for study, refers to a specific group of people who wield power over Mana greater than any other across the face of Agartha. 7 is their number, each one aligned with one of the 7 Elementals. They are peerless warriors and supreme mages, more powerful than anything ever to grace this plane. They are thought to be so powerful that they command the obedience of their own Mana Beast. Or so, at least, the legends say.

Digging Deeper

For roughly four and a half thousand years, stories of the Wisemen have pervaded cultures across the globe. Everybody has their own depiction of the Wisemen, or one of them at least. For example, in the Grass Clan of the plains on Tigris, the Orcs believe that the Wiseman of Wind is a golden eagle given an earthly form by the winds, who punished him for daring to fly higher than them. On the other hand, the people of Vinstad, a town in the Lemurian fiefdoms, believe that he is a man who became an elemental when he was brought back to life by a gust of wind and imbued with its power after falling from one of the many cliffs around the area.

In this way, the Wisemen have become almost religious figures in certain sections of Agartha. The mystique that has generated around their image certainly attracts many to believe them to be merely folk tales and legends, but there are several cults across the globe who insist upon their existence. Each culture that has established itself long enough to form its own belief system or religion has had at least one Wiseman cult spring up. In fact, in recent years it has become quite stylish for someone to join one instead of becoming initiated into one of the Deific religions. The Cult of Sapios the Treewarden in particular has been growing in size, bolstered by claims that its leader is in fact the Wiseman himself.

What this means for you...

Whether or not you wish to join one of the cults, innumerable though they may be, is up to you. If you want to make up the cult yourself, have at it. There are so many tales and myths about the Wisemen that if you came up with your own version it wouldn't at all be surprising. Enterprising individuals may even wish to capitalize on the rise of the cult religions, in one fashion or another.

History in the Making

The names of the Seven Wisemen were formalized in an anthology of local legends and folk tales about them entitled the Micel Staer, a 9-volume script written by a group of Lemurian monks in 598 F.E. It was a labor of immense proportion, as gathering this fluid information was a task for decades, if not centuries. Stories of the Wisemen often spoke toward their ability to keep themselves hidden, and indeed it seemed as though they were invisible figments, considering how slowly the legends were cataloged. Miraculously, it was completed within three generations, and has since been kept in pristine condition in a fervently guarded vault. For 437 years, these books were accepted among the scholarly as the most comprehensive and accurate depiction of the Wisemen, even though a decision has yet to have been made on whether or not the 7 mythical people even exist. According to the Staer, the 7 names for the Wisemen are:

Hou Shan, Wiseman of Fire. Name taken from eastern Calderan, meaning born of flames.
Rajumyrsky, Wiseman of Wind. Name taken from Runic Jorden, meaning hurricane.
Riktahasta, Wiseman of Void. Name taken from Modern Muan, meaning empty vessel.
Sapios, Wiseman of Leaf. Name taken from Old Tigritian, meaning Oak tree.
Draki, Wiseman of Water. Name taken from Standard Fyrissian, meaning shore or wavecrash.
Grundwaeg, Wiseman of Earth. Name taken from Old Tigritian, meaning clay jar.
Lucidus, Wiseman of Light. Name taken from Old Lemurian, meaning aware or apparent.

What This Means for You


Well, now they have names.

___
More later.

Cody's Campaign - Characters, etc.

Alex' Character-
Michael River
Born on November 1st, 1981 in Los Angeles to a pair of private investigator parents, Michael is the very definition of child prodigy. Lightyears ahead of his peers, he graduated from Oxford at the age of 14 and is widely known among his colleagues for helping to solve the Seattle "Hangman Murders" case at only 12. Throughout his younger years he had great interest and skill in tinkering with electronics and computer equipment. At 16 he was admitted into the FBI serving jointly within the Law Enforcement Services Branch and the Information Technology Operations Division (where he engineered several advances in the methods of electronic law enforcement).

This is not to say he's perfect. Far from it. As one might expect, he has nearly zero social skills. He also sometimes forgets the limits of the "normal" human mind which, coupled with his high level of stubborness, has led to many sleepless nights for those working with him. In short, he always needs to win. Indeed, he's seen as rather childish, in large part due to his affinity for toys. It was not uncommon to walk in on him studying a list of criminals on a computer screen from an intricate Lego castle or making a breakthrough in a case while a remote-control helicopter flew around the room.

Of course this is all moot, now that he's been let go from the position. They say its for taking a case "too far", whatever that means. After repeated attempts to get back into contact with the organization, he's found that it's almost as if the past three years of his life never happened. Not that this matters for anyone besides Michael, as he had preferred to stay out of the limelight anyway, but for him it feels as if he's lost a game he didn't even realize he was playing. And this frustrates him greatly. But if this shadowy "agency" is any indication, the game's not up just yet.

Classes: Smart with Techie at later levels, possibly Investigator.


Kyle's Character-
Hurnandez del Toro
Hurnandez was born in 1973 in Havannah Cuba. All his life he knew nothing but the rule of Castro and as such he aspired to be part of it. By the age of 16 he enliseted into the army and had made a name for himself hunting down rebels. But later he pushed himslf even farther and joined the ranks of Castro's secret police. Herer he would walk the streets of Havannah looking for anything anti Castro and "reeducate" the sukca on the opposite end. In one particular incident he got envolved in uncovering a coo set up the the CIA. Through that effort and the fact that he had killed one of the CIA agents he got promoted to the rank of Sergent.

By the age of 28 he was ready to blow that popsicile stand. Several attemps had been made on his life via rivals to his position. He secretly planned a fake death and high tailed it out of the country. Looking for work from abroad. When one day he got a message from "the Agency" to do some work abroad. He accepted and has been doing so for 2 years now.

Josh's Character-
Gerard Didriksen
Gerard was born on [April 28th, 1978] at the University of Chicago Medical Center. He grew up in the Hyde Park district on the South Side. When he was 14 he began working at the lakefront docks for his uncle Eddy. Through Eddy's various ties with The Outfit, Gerard was eventually introduced and indicted into the notorious gang in a more or less auxiliary fashion. (Oddly enough, Gerard was related to Frank and Pete Gusenberg, two of the victims of the St. Valentines Day Massacre. Small world.)

He worked with The Outfit for a few years, acting with his uncle in the disposal of unwanted baggage. A few times, he was asked to accompany a small group of gang muscle in shaking down a reluctant business. On one such occasion, when he was 22, he was called to join 2 or 3 other men in guarding his caporegime, John Carlisi. The other party sought retribution for a previous grievance, and upon sighting the group, greeted them with a barrage of gunfire. Gerard was wounded, and was one of two people to escape the fight alive. With the help of the other fellow, Francis, Gerard successfully carried out the grisly series of untraceable murders that evened things out, and then some. His true talents now finally recognized, Gerard spent the next 3 years as a paid assassin and gun for hire.

When he was 25, he left Chicago and, with his reputation in the American underworld helping to grease the wheels, became known throughout the world as a fearsome killer and corporate assassin.

Crunch is here.

Wild Wild West, Jim West, desperado, rough rider, no you don't want nada...

Ok, so I've given it some though, and I think I'm going to try and run a Wild West game. I'd set it most likely around the mid 1870's to early 80's. Now I need to know from all of you what you would find more interesting / exciting / whatever.

EDIT: Me and Kyle talked and brainstormed a new idea as well, so I'll throw that in at the end of this.

A.) Outlaws

1. Start with a clean slate, and you've known each other for awhile, working in X line of work (cowboys,Pinkerton Guards gone wrong, miners, etc.) who find that their line of work isn't appealing enough and decide to start some trouble. Or even just a group who all know each other and decide to form a gang. And then subsequently create a name for themselves and end up being wanted men.
   


2. Already are a gang of outlaws who have built a name for themselves, and we continue from then on out.

B.) Lawmen

1. Fresh recruits to the Texas Rangers who are thrown together in a group with a well-established leader. Who then do what rangers do... kill bandits, kill Indians, and track down outlaws.
2. Pinkerton Detective Agency recruits. Basically the same as the Rangers, except you'd function outside of Texas, and mainly just track down outlaws.
3. Already established members of either group above.
4. Hired guns guarding a train / stagecoach.

NEW IDEA

Ok, the other idea me and Kyle came up with was that the pc's are a group of freelance mercenaries that in general do the highest bidder's dirty work. Think sort of like the ICA organization from the Hitman games. But instead of just dealing in making hits, you would be doing all sorts of things, just so from a game perspective it would keep things fresh. One session you could be sent to Prague to assassinate some ambassador from X country. To prevent it from being complete run and gun it'd be easy to throw in requirments for the hits. And for another episode you could be required to head to some rich fogey's villa in south America to steal some information for blackmail, where you would be required to not get caught. I'm not exactly sure on time period here, I'm leaning toward modern day just because it would make variety easier. But I'm open to trying either this, or the Wild West game. This, as Kyle pointed out to me, might be easier to pull off seeing as each session would be like an episode, so I could have you guys do something akin to whatever your/my fancy is that week.


I'm just wondering what you guys would find most interesting, because the more you're into it, the more I'll be into it. If you couldn't tell, I'm trying to establish you all in the same group and with somewhat the same goals in all the options. I don't want to have to deal with PC1 hating PC2's guts, or any other commonly played out instance. But anyways, that's just a few rough ideas for you. So, lemme know what of the above you would prefer, and why. Also if you have any suggestions they're more than welcome.

On The Rim - Act 1

Important characters

Raquim al Sadher
Salu of the Wastes
Paola Peakeli
Hou Shan(?) and Yan Jiang(?)

The party floated their craft down the Eryes to the harbor town of Gangkou, to see the city in turmoil. After disembarking, the group fought off hazards that included the risen dead and rioters, until finally they came face to face with a powerful wielder, thought to be the legendary Hou Shan, Wiseman of Fire. Hou Shan had made quick work of the ships in harbor, cutting them in twain with a swipe of his hand. He turned toward the group and, seeing them poised to attack, moved to engage them.
With a motion, he ignited a wreath of flames to encircle the party, and hurled one of his many blades at Paola. After the party retaliated, Hou Shan leapt high into the air and came slicing down, cutting at Raquim and Salu. The battle continued unabated from then on.
Hou Shan, after disabling Raquim, tarried the assaults of Salu and Paola, and called his Mana Beast Yan Jiang to his side. Leaping on its back, Hou Shan fled for another part of the city.
After the fight, the Guilds' forces came in full force to repel Hou Shan. Once he left the vicinity, they went to work quelling rioters and the risen dead.
As thanks for their valiant efforts, the party was given reward in several forms, not the least of which is use of a ship and a place to stay.

Items in party's care. Bold indicates new items.

Smoldering Longsword. Flame attack. Not attuned.
Flameseal. Flame attack. Not attuned.
Sulfrite Bracer. Flame Resistance. Not attuned.
Yan Barb. Flame Resistance. Not attuned.
Blue Meteora Edge. Light attack. Attuned.
Manawood Rosary. Leaf Resistance. Attuned.
Collena Tome. Ranged Light attack. Attuned.
Two Lesser Fire Elemental cores.
One Lesser Earth Elemental core.
Various items, including 285 silver coins and one camel. Bandoleer of Regenerative Doses. Potted Plant.

Soapbox

I'll be coming home next week on Friday, February 15th, so we should decide on what we're playing soon.

Anything's fine with me, as you so well know by now. I'm easy, like Sunday morning.

Anyway, I'd like to run some things by you guys, in regard to the game I'm running here. The group is now fairly solidified in terms of size, so I can rightly gauge the level of complexity I bring to the games. I left things dangling, not hanging, off a cliff the last session, so I want to bring it "to the hoop" as they say. Or, at least, I'm told.

I'll upload the document I've prepared for the next game. There is a coherent setting, but I haven't finished the map yet... Otherwise, I'd up that too.

Here's the doc.

Kyle's Muses

Ok dig it man. The whole thing with the bandits is kinda going no where fast, so if you guys are down, meaning Josh and Alex, I have a good idea to go off of. Cody said he's cool with it but just hear me out and let me know what you cats think

Here's the premise:
It is the start of the trading season and as the characters are making their way back to their home town they find it has been destroyed everyone is dead. It would be up to the heroes to figure out what has happened and why. Then, they could deal with it as they see fit. That's the basic idea; there's a lot more to it but that's all side stuff cause this would be a long running game probably.

And here are the only major things to know for the character creation:
- 1st level (deal with it)
- no starting gear
( you will be getting stuff early on though so don't think you have to be a wizard or some class that doesn't require gear.)

And that's it. Like I said, this would be an extended campaign with any luck, and the "no gear" thing is due to the story; it's not to be a dick. So let me know what you think. Otherwise, we can just play Josh's or someone else can run something in my place. Outie

On the Rim - Act 1 Chapter 1

Preface: On The Rim is the title for this story arc. The title itself is a reference to the old saying "The wheel never stops turning, etc..."

On the Rim

Characters

Raquim al Sadher
Salu of the Wastes
Paola Peakeli


Three men with suitably similar talents establish a fraternal bond in the face of mortal terror, an event rather uncommon in the lonely ocean of sun-baked sand known as the Wastes. Embarking together for lands unknown to them, seeking fame and fortune along the way, these three individuals will hold within them the potential for change...

Their fates are rapidly gaining on them.

They leave the eastern city of Kopesh, after completing an exploration of the nearby ruins of the Ancient city of Mahde. Commandeering a fishing boat from the riverside docks, loading their worldly possessions, the three take leave of their usual mistrust and decide to chance their own destinies on the whim of the world.

Among their cargo:

Roughly 300 Sand Silver coins. Each one worth roughly 8 Bronze coins or about one fourth of a Gilded coin.
One Camel. Several crates of goods, including each person's personal belongings.
Unbound magic items: Manawood rosary, Collena Tome, broken Blue Meteora edge. Two Lesser Fire Elemental cores. One Lesser Earth elemental core.

Soapbox

So the new semester is upon me, and with that there will even less opportunity to convene with ample time to fiddle with dice.

I'll hopefully be coming right back for the first weekend, and if you dorks would be able to come to my house in that time, that'd be grand. Most likely, we'll be playing Kyle's game, to let me collect from the whirlwind of action that happened last time.

In the meantime, I'll be filling my week with actually finishing that damn post there in the archives, now on the second page, you know the one I mean. I'll think about posting info on some other stuff I've yet to find a home for...

SAME Information - Gaining Power

When characters in SAME gain power, they typically are either increasing a numeric trait like one of the SAME stats, or gaining a new ability like a spell. For the former, it is simply a matter of increasing one of your SAME scores using however many "build points" are given. A character increases those stats and any mechanic derived from them increases accordingly. So if you increase your Strength by 1, you increase your Endurance and Athletics by 1 as well. You can also divvy up the skill increases so either one gets both points.

Gaining spells or abilities is a little more complicated, but nothing too taxing. (As of this moment I'm still working on specific spells and abilities, but the general spell categories are done and can be found, along with qualities and guidelines for them, here.) Gaining a spell of your current "level" is a matter of simply writing down a new element you can fire all willy-nilly. A character with Fire Shard and Earth Shock can gain a new Shock or Shard spell anytime they gain power after an adventure. Getting a new utility spell means thinking up a neat trick and then writing it down on your sheet with appropriate tags attached (Mana ties and such.)

Attaining higher levels of spells requires a little more focus. To gain access to the next level of a particular spell class, you must have two spells of the previous level. For example, a character who wishes to get access to Bolt spells has to have two Shard spells already in their repertoire.

Abilities are like spells in that they are auxiliary to regular attacks, but they are special kinds of attacks or actions that serve a distinct tactical purpose. Higher tier abilities require instruction of the lower tiers first (at least two abilities from the lower tier.) I'm still working on abilities. They're like spells, but more "martial artsy" than "mystic artsy," and you can use them once per encounter and are kind of like augmentations to either regular attacks or spells.

1st Tier Abilities

Assault - A series of blows that Stuns your opponent.
Hamstring - A precision attack that Slows your opponent.
Headshot - Strike your opponent in the head to make them Forgetful!
Bodyblow - A brutal attack that causes an enemy to be Shaken.
Evasion - Negate the next attack against you.
Drain - Drain ambient mana of one type for the rest of the encounter.
Leverage - When any opponent next attacks you, resolve attacks and damage normally, but the opponent is now up to N distance away from his original position in any direction.
Press Your Luck - You may reroll any dice rolled this turn, even your opponent's. You must accept the outcome of the new rolls. You must declare your use of this ability before the first die is rolled.
Cunning Infusion - With this attack, choose a second elemental type. You may deal damage from that elemental type.
Precision - Your next attack is made at +4 to hit.
Ferocity - Your next attack deals +4 damage.
Tenacity - Remove wounds of one type, to reset to 0. However, you no longer resist any damage from that type.

2nd Tier Abilites

Crescendo - A weapon attack that makes a big whip-crack. Deal weapon damage +S and E.
Depraved Strike - A sinister attack that hits your opponent in the soft bits. Leave your opponent Depraved.
Surge - A brutal strike that overwhelms your opponent's senses and leaves them in a haze. Deal normal attack damage. The target is Forgetful and Shaken.
Bind - A deviously planned assault leaves the opponent wondering what the hell just happened. Deal normal attack damage. The target is Stunned and Slowed.

Conditions: The effects of the listed conditions are as follows:
Stunned- Cannot take actions and Strength is reduced by 2.
Shaken- Cannot take actions and Elan is reduced by 2.
Slowed- Cannot move and Agility is reduced by 2.
Forgetful- Cannot move and Moxie is reduced by 2.
Blind - Cannot take actions, and Agility is reduced by 4. Creatures who are naturally blind do not suffer from these effects.
Depraved - Cannot move, and Moxie is reduced by 4.

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You guys got access to a new spell or ability from the last adventure. Think of how you want your character to develop, and get back to me with questions. I'll try to get the "abilities" posted, but I'm having trouble making sure they mean something by the time you can get the higher-power ones. I'll just put up the 1st Tier ones for now anyway...


Did more work on the creatures post (here.)