CELTRICIA- Steel Isle Online Dungeon crawl

[limetom]

Bad news, everyone.  My adviser corralled me into a class at the same time as our game, so I won't be attending anytime soon.

Kinda sucks but my hands are tied.  So instead of kicking in doors and screwing up cultists, I'll be studying the sounds of modern Japanese.  Fun, fun, fun.

:(

[LordVreeg]

Bad news, everyone.  My adviser corralled me into a class at the same time as our game, so I won't be attending anytime soon.

Kinda sucks but my hands are tied.  So instead of kicking in doors and screwing up cultists, I'll be studying the sounds of modern Japanese.  Fun, fun, fun.

:(

Oof.  I was counting on your new 'muscle and faith' PC after Simon met the Shepherd of the Dark Well. Makes me wish Kellik was still around, since the group was already a little off-ratio for survival.  

We'll miss you, LT.  Hopefully, at the end of the Semester, we'll add you back in.

[LordVreeg]

Tomorrow night...
as Daylight comes back to the Moors, The New Legion will begin their Trek back to the Vexchain ruins.
The wolves howl, and the shadows move eerily around the edge of the firelight  Simon's features seem to move as the night progress, and his friends almost swear they can see his lips moving.  






Steel Isle Group, 8:30 Eastern.

I had to give out my largest group RP EXP awards for SIG ever last session.
Group earned it by taking the spookiness around them and then enhanced what was happening based on each characters personality.
Sometimes dead bodies, the Cult of the Dark Way, a missed will CC roll or 2, a foggy moor leading to a swamp all on top of a vanquished, angry civilization...can lead to a rough night.
 

...And a hard morning.

Dead prisoners with their eyeballs torn out in the AM.  The trek to Vexchian continues.    

[Nomadic]

Bad news, everyone.  My adviser corralled me into a class at the same time as our game, so I won't be attending anytime soon.

Kinda sucks but my hands are tied.  So instead of kicking in doors and screwing up cultists, I'll be studying the sounds of modern Japanese.  Fun, fun, fun.

:(

Oof.  I was counting on your new 'muscle and faith' PC after Simon met the Shepherd of the Dark Well. Makes me wish Kellik was still around, since the group was already a little off-ratio for survival.  

We'll miss you, LT.  Hopefully, at the end of the Semester, we'll add you back in.

Ironically one of the things the helped me decide to drop Kellik when I did was that he was too good. He didn't have the heavy armor of the other group tanks but his AV was so low anyways that he rarely got hit. And with the pilums he turned into this unstoppable crit monster (I recall his crit range was like 11... which is silly). Carmen is a bit more frail and her damage is a bit more sane.

[LordVreeg]

Bad news, everyone.  My adviser corralled me into a class at the same time as our game, so I won't be attending anytime soon.

Kinda sucks but my hands are tied.  So instead of kicking in doors and screwing up cultists, I'll be studying the sounds of modern Japanese.  Fun, fun, fun.

:(

Oof.  I was counting on your new 'muscle and faith' PC after Simon met the Shepherd of the Dark Well. Makes me wish Kellik was still around, since the group was already a little off-ratio for survival.  

We'll miss you, LT.  Hopefully, at the end of the Semester, we'll add you back in.

Ironically one of the things the helped me decide to drop Kellik when I did was that he was too good. He didn't have the heavy armor of the other group tanks but his AV was so low anyways that he rarely got hit. And with the pilums he turned into this unstoppable crit monster (I recall his crit range was like 11... which is silly). Carmen is a bit more frail and her damage is a bit more sane.

The game is built for the Kelliks of the world.  The crit range is supposed to be high; GS is supposed to be deadly.
Trust me when I say that Kellik was not going to unbalance the world.  This adventure was built expecting the PCs to get better

[SDragon]

Hooray for burning the corpses of your freshly fallen foes!

[Nomadic]

Bad news, everyone.  My adviser corralled me into a class at the same time as our game, so I won't be attending anytime soon.

Kinda sucks but my hands are tied.  So instead of kicking in doors and screwing up cultists, I'll be studying the sounds of modern Japanese.  Fun, fun, fun.

:(

Oof.  I was counting on your new 'muscle and faith' PC after Simon met the Shepherd of the Dark Well. Makes me wish Kellik was still around, since the group was already a little off-ratio for survival.  

We'll miss you, LT.  Hopefully, at the end of the Semester, we'll add you back in.

Ironically one of the things the helped me decide to drop Kellik when I did was that he was too good. He didn't have the heavy armor of the other group tanks but his AV was so low anyways that he rarely got hit. And with the pilums he turned into this unstoppable crit monster (I recall his crit range was like 11... which is silly). Carmen is a bit more frail and her damage is a bit more sane.

The game is built for the Kelliks of the world.  The crit range is supposed to be high; GS is supposed to be deadly.
Trust me when I say that Kellik was not going to unbalance the world.  This adventure was built expecting the PCs to get better

Not so much worried about unbalancing the world as unbalancing the party. I like to give everyone a bit more combat limelight than they were getting with Kellik around. I could have kept the rapier to do that but with enemy armor increasing Kellik was becoming too weak in combat. It can be hard to find that balance... if you know what I'm getting at.

[LordVreeg]

Hey, you had me fooled it was all for RP and player reasons, trying new things and playing Kellik to a logical conclusion.  Silly me.

[Nomadic]

Hey, you had me fooled it was all for RP and player reasons, trying new things and playing Kellik to a logical conclusion.  Silly me.

That was my plan but then this plus the schedule messup plus other things had me playing the logical conclusion too soon. Needless to say I'm not happy with how I played Kellik.

[LordVreeg]

Session 45

Session Start: Thu Aug 12 20:27:35 2010
Session Ident: #celtricia
 03[20:27] * Now talking in #celtricia
Nomadic--- behold a Vreeg


 
At 3am, Cameleye and Stormhammer see lights in the south, seemingly further down the road.  The bank the group's fire, and wake the others.  
Carmen and Stormhammer stand and watch south.  Rampan sweeps off the bits of wood and ash from the fire, while everyone else gets behind trees on the north side.  The fog rolls through, making the procession of armored, robed cultists seem like ghosts.  They are almost silent.
Cameleye, " There are about a dozen cultist coming up the path,...they don't seem to have seen us"
Hamish_Haldane, 'Hmmm, ' as he peers down the road.
Wurnick slowly slips behind a tree, readying his sword
Hamish_Haldane,'Then let us ambush them. The more cultists we kill, the less we have to deal with in the ruins.'
Simon, "Storm, you and CAmel hide on the side they are coming from.  Wait until they pass."
 Stormhammer nods in agreement
Simon, " The rest of us shall hit them as they come over the bridge on the north side"
Hamish_Haldane,' As you say friend Simon.'
Camaleye runs to the south side as well, and ducks right
Hamish_Haldane gets into place for the ambush
Stormhammer hides away
Ramapon breaks down the stove, and the rest of the group goes north and hides among the rushes and trees
soon, all can hear the singing, a droning dirgish thing.

" Canavan, triumpala, Canavan, Meestaorr...", goes the voices, and then just over a dozen armored humans and hobyts's come into view led by a black cloaked, golden masked man...with 6 lanterns showing the way...they are proud, and fear little.
10 wear mediocre scale maille, but 2 of them wear strange, mantis-motifed lamellar armor, glinting in the lantern light'¦Loudly they sing, "Canavan, Perior, Triumpala!!"
they seem oblivious to the former occupancy, in the front is the black-cloaked leader, in his golden mask...  and they are on the foot of the bridge, now.  The bridge has a 50' span.

* Stormhammer ducks behind a bush and keeps his sling ready, and Hamish prepares to call on the power of the House of the First Station.  Wurnick fits arrow to bow, and Simon readies his Pilum for these perverters of the Shepherd's words.  The leader gains the center of the bridge, the torchlight bounces weirdly around him.
Carmen_Ondradet readies her bow and sights up the leader

Rampan succeeds casting, and slyly, so the white glow is behind the tree.  He gets low, and blocks the glow as best he can  and no one sees it.
The cultists sing as they troop over the bridge, oblivious to the preparations. "Tossa, Moradin!!", they sing'¦
Stormhammer peaks out from behind the bush, and does not see anyone close,  so he uses his sling, aiming at one of the back ones in scalemaille.
a bullet wings out and whacks a hobyt cultist with a loud crack on the back,  but bounces off the armor.
the cultists slow, and start to look around...
Stormhammer stays down
Carmen_Ondradet peaks out drawing an arrow back to her shoulder and lets fly with a *thwp* into the leader.  Her Bow is almost as tall as she is.
Carmen's arrow ricochet's loudly off the shoulder of the leader...snapping him around a bit.

Carmen_Ondradet ducks back into cover, as the leader yells in a low voice'¦"Aroint, travail, we are attacked!"
Hamish Haldane steps out, as the leader and the front cronies start to charge, and brilliant whitish blue water, lit from within, slaps out with violence from his hands'¦ *splooosh*The leader skids back some 6 feet, with a knocked down and grunting loudly, his robes soaked and mixed with blood.  He scatters the cultists.
wurnicks bow sings'¦and an arrow bounces off a scale mail cultist.  
Maximillian_VHV_Carchedin folds his hands together and bows his head'¦Max believes he is strong, stronger than before'¦
[note]Carmen_Ondradet> ooc: ishma favors the witty[/note]
a light of belief is in Max's eye...as Carmen's knocks another arrow and lines up the leader while he's still recovering from his wet thrashing.
the cultists have all drawn weaps, and are moving down the bridge, 2 in front actually are in lamellar, one a Hobyt and one a human.
 'boing', goes the arrow as it hits the leader, his armor shrugging off the big bow's power.
'Curse you Ishma', hisses Carmen'¦she shakes her fist in frustration as she goes for another arrow
[note=Peanut gallery]jomalley> don't let kiko hear you[/note]
Stormhammer peaks out again, giving another shot with the sling. the bullet sails into the night, never to be seen...
Simon has rushed out, meeting a lammellar clad warrior in a clash of metal and violence.  Simon does his best to block the whole 20' wide span.
Simon 's demilune tears through the cultists shoulder, spraying blood behind the cultist, who grunts in pain.
[note=WUMPH] <Vreeg_GM> OOH
[21:20] <Carmen_Ondradet> ooc: did the insane pyro just crit?
[21:21] <Hamish_Haldane> ooc: the world bursts into flames[/note]
*WOOMPH* Suddenl;y, a ball of flame roars into existence in the middle of the bridge'¦"Toast, you fallow, feckless, orcusfuckers!!!!", scream Rampan as his hands
Carmen_Ondradet shields her eyes from the roaring blaze, as 4 cultists start burning, and screaming'¦ 4 scalemail cultists immolate, scream for a moment, then crisp into black charcoal'¦

Carmen_Ondradet ducks behind a tree screaming something about not burning up your own allies as the head threatens to blister her face
"eat hot Orcus seed, Fuckers!", screams Rampan as the roar of fire and the smell of burnt flesh encompasses the bridge area.
Stormhammer ducks even further down, from the heat as well as sight
Ramapn, the red hobyt is standing i the open behind all, shaking his staff and fist
Carmen draews a bead at the leader as he slowly gains his feat though water and fire, and sees brave Simon holding the bridge alone.  The Hobyt and Human in ancient, glinting Lamellar both are facing him.
She nails the Hobyt lamellar guy, a hobyt who is turning to fight Hamish.
Carmen_Ondradet gives him a mocking and highly suggestive salute before slipping back behind the tree, as she puts an arrow through the right thigh of the hobyt, causing him to stumble,  blood spurting out as the arrow remains in the thigh.
The leader reaches out his hands, and makes a fist, as grey shapes appear around the 4 burnt cultsist corpses, already black, as they curdle in on themselves'¦
the leader stands up straighter

Wurnick hits and bounces another arrow off a cultist.    'Leaves of Ceminiar', he yells.
a lamellar armored tribesman goes after Simon, as Maximillian_VHV_Carchedin clumsily hefts his arbalest, unfamiliar with the weight. He aims for the leader.  *boing*.  Max's bolt hits, but bounces off the human's armor.
Simon slowly dodges the Pilum. Somehow
Maximillian_VHV_Carchedin frowns, he drops his arbalest and draws his grand shamsheer
the lanterns are on the ground, but the huge fireball still roars and lights the bridge in an orange glare
The other lamellar fighter, the hobyt, reaches Hamish. he drops his pilum, almost falling on it.  He needs to bend down to reach it.  Hamish beans him, but the cultist giggles at Hamish's weak attack.  (as he tries to find his pilum).
3 of the Scale mail cultist in the rear peel off to go to the back of the bridge, perhaps also to avoid the roaring ball of flame.

Simon rears back his demilune ripping through the human's curriass, drawing more blood and knocking the man to his knees.  He still holds his Pilum.

Carmen_Ondradet launches an arrow at the giggling hobyt on the ground, but it overshoots.  She curses, and begins plotting to gain ultimate power and overthrow Ishma
a yellow light envelops them Hamish and Simon, and they hear singing.  Hamish falls to the ground, sensless.  Simon moves slightly to his right, and wards him menacingly.  Hamish's eyelids flutter and his eyes roll back'¦
Stormhammer sees 3 scale mail warriors coming towards him'¦about 20' away.  Stormhammer searches for an exit strategy, and tucks tail'¦
[note=exit]
[21:55] <Hamish_Haldane> ooc: very sensible. Although not a good night for the Gurelliums
[/note]
Stormhammer gets into the river, going under and letting the current take him a bit
a human in scale mail runs to stab Hamish, but Simon wards him.  Max runs up, and Simon and max hold the whole bridge and deny all who would pass.
Another human in Scale mail attacks Simon, who dodges again and laughs dourly.
Stormhammers hears muffled gurgle behind him.  
another scale mail guy goes at max, with a scimitar.  Max dodges slightly, and he lops his own arm off and dies screaming.  
Maximillian_VHV_Carchedin laughs boomingly 'They send fools against me!'
The huge flaming ball rolls into the other scale guy, burning him a little
The leader, 2 lammellar guys, 2 scale guys, and 2 other scale guys on the far side are left side.
Carmen_Ondradet draws up her bow and centers it on the nearest scale wearer before letting her shot fly, just missed the scale human in the front .
On the other side. Cameleye has leapt onto the back of another one and garrotted him'¦his head falls clean off
the leader points at Carmen.. and the leader throws a few finger bones...and huge spears of bone erupts, flying and screaming at carmen...who dodges all of them...
He puts his hands on his hips.
Carmen_Ondradet shouts at the leader that he hits like a 12 year old hobyt girl.

The lamellared Human swings at Simon from the ground, as he holds the path'¦,his spear lodges in Simon's throat, and cuts off Simon' head...the head rolls onto the ground, sightless eyes stare at Hamish's sleeping body

Maximillian_VHV_Carchedin roars, ' You have forfeited your lives! I will avenge you, Simon!'
[note <Carmen_Ondradet> ooc: don't tell kellik though, he'd probably hunt down the family of the guy who did that and gut them like fish[/note]
Wrunick's bow sings as Maximillian_VHV_Carchedin roars furiously.  Stormhammer watches from the distance as he sees an ally go down
Wurnick's arrow rips through a hobyt's forarm.
Carmen_Ondradet coldly watches simon's lifeless body drop to the ground even as she draws back an arrow, aiming straight at the heart of the man who slew him
The Human in lammellar, already bleeding heavily, expires when the arrow lodges in his stomach.
Carmen_Ondradet says, ' give my regards to simon, you filth.'
A black, biluous smoke starts rising from the bridge, obscuring vision,  even the fireball is dimmed within'¦
'Mage! You cannot escape your doom! It lies heavy upon you!', screams Max as he steps over Simon's body.

Stormhammer closes back in on the fight, cooly draws his sword, slashing at a cultist.  The cultist was looking back at camelye, ignoring you
the sabre rattles off the scale maille.
 " Fry and sit in boiling oil, spawn of Ocus, eaters of the demon flith!", screams Rampan.
And another scale maille hobyt dies in flame as the ball of flame rolls over him.
Wurnick fires his bow'¦and  impales a tree
Maximillian_VHV_Carchedin yells, ' You will perish! Throw down your arms and embrace your end!' as the hobyt in lammellar attacks him'¦the spear bounces off max
The smoke gets thicker behind the Hobyt fighting Max.  'You are a blot on this world! Now die!', yells Max.
the Shamsheer flares white as it hits the Hobyt's right shoulder, it flares and burns him.  He falls to the ground.
The scale mailed human in the front tries to pierce Hamish's motionless body.  He stabs the earth.  Max is distracting the few remaining fighters.
the black fog on the bridge starts to lessen, as Carmen_Ondradet draws her bow tight and shoots at the man trying to hit Hamish and nails him.
the arrow rips through his right shoulder and trapezius, slaying him as it guts his carotid artery.  Carmen and Max notice the gold-masked leader is nowhere to be seen. The last 2 cultist look around, and throw down their arms.
Maximillian_VHV_Carchedin raises his blade high over his head.. but lowers it slowly.
Carmen_Ondradet approaches them, bow drawn.
they are on their knees, weapons tossed away, begging.  Maximillian_VHV_Carchedin snorts.  'Tell me, cultists. Why should we spare you?'
 Carmen_Ondradet stands about 10 feet away, arrow pointed at ones head
Maximillian_VHV_Carchedin says, ' We will take you back. For the city's justice.  On your feet.'
He prods one with his shamsheer
Hamish_Haldane slowly wakes up, still groggy
Carmen_Ondradet squints at the hobyt cultist.  ' wait... I know you'  She kicks him.
they stand, hands on head, amazed at this sudden turn of fate.  Moments ago they were singing and marching.  
Hamish_Haldane shakes his head.  ' I gather that we won since I survived.'
Maximillian_VHV_Carchedin sighs heavily.  'Alas... Simon did not.'
Carmen_Ondradet lowers her bow
Hamish_Haldane surveys the battlefield and a horrified look crosses his face as he sees Simons headless body
Maximillian_VHV_Carchedin says, ' He must be returned to his brothers of the boneyard.'
Rampan looks up at the sky., " Eyeless honor, headless hope..."
Carmen_Ondradet is looking at one of the cultists.  ' I've seen that one before, they do booking keeping for the pueta traders'
She points at one of the nervous captives
Stormhammer stays respectfully silent
Maximillian_VHV_Carchedin points as well.  ' Cameleye. Bind the prisoners.'  The Hobyt in black leather produces leather strips, and does so.
Carmen_Ondradet  pokes the Hobyt cultist.  ' what are you doing tangled with this group??'
Hamish_Haldane nods.  ' Hmmm, the cult has infiltrated the Steel Isle town. We knew that, but not any specifics.'

[LordVreeg]

BTW...if there are any other players interested...and if anyone but the players ever reads this...the group could use another front rank type.
And I will try to get session 46 up soon.  I did 45 more to frame 46 properly.  Excellent RP session, so I felt I should create some context.

[SDragon]

BTW...if there are any other players interested...and if anyone but the players ever reads this...the group could use another front rank type.
And I will try to get session 46 up soon.  I did 45 more to frame 46 properly.  Excellent RP session, so I felt I should create some context.

It was, indeed, an excellent session. Part of me wants to comment on Stormhammer's decision early on, but I don't want to steal the limelight from the other characters, who were also played well. Besides, no fun in spoiling it for those that weren't there, right?

[LordVreeg]

Llum, can you update the wikipage for SIG?  Things change fast.

[Llum]

Done

[Nomadic]

Won't make the next session. Boss asked me to come into work on my day off so that she can get the guy that normally works that day caught up elsewhere.