On Monday, I intend to write up a big long post of thank yous and some other details, but I'm exhausted, so can't do it tonight. There's a lot of people and things to cover and thanks. I'm glad you all had fun, and I'm so grateful for all of the GM support as well, and expect me to go on and on about this come Monday.
In the meantime...here's 6 little "After Shadows" teasers for you, wrapped up into the Cross into Shadows: Epilogue. Enjoy!
The sea was eerily silent.
He could see the shoreline from the window of his cabin, hundreds of piles of debris littering it like gnarled rocks. As the distance shortened, he soon realized his presumption was wrong. It was not wreckage at all.
It was bodies.
He cringed for a moment.
Until he noticed they were predominantly the bloated corpses of imperial soldiers.
He smiled for a moment.
The boat swayed steadily along the waves, and he could hear the footsteps of the crew on deck, skittering about to prepare as they reached the shore. He looked to a corner of his chamber and mentally calculated the coins in each coffer neatly stacked side by side. He’d need it all at this point.
Every last coin.
A knock came from the door. A gruff voice from the other side, “We’re almost to shore. Have it all ready.”
He turned back to the chests in the corner, his narrow grey eyes regarding the remnants of his lives work. Glancing to the side, a smeared mirror revealed exactly how much the last few months had done to him. His fleshy face had slimmed, and every last speck of brown had faded to grey in his beard.
Being a wanted criminal would do that to you.
His new hired hands trudged through the door and were quick to hoist up the chests in the corner, carrying them out, one by one. He fought the urge to stop them, but knew this was his only choice.
He felt the ship slow, shifting slightly as it reached the sands. Buzzards dispatched from their perches on the bloody, pecked bodies of soldiers as he watched the gangplank lowered. Crew members made their way down the ramp, carrying with them his treasure, his coins, his leverage.
He watched from the window as they moved up the shoreline, their footprints marking the sand as they snaked in between the rotting corpses. That was how it should always be, he thought. Rows and rows of imperial corpses.
The last man disappeared along the shoreline, moving into the coverage of the woods beyond. His eyes remained glued to the distance, waiting for their hopefully, inevitable return. Indeed, he would need every last coin. He had only one thing left beyond that.
His home was gone, twice now.
His wife was gone, his position was gone, his financer was gone.
That only left one thing indeed.
His revenge.
The shadows were filled with voices.
Some, her own. Mostly they belonged to others.
Faint whispers, fragments of conversations, some sounding more like wind than words. How long had she been wandering? How long ago did they defeat the great demon of chaos? Had it been mere days, or years now?
The horizon bled like an ocean of blood and ink, stretching as far as she could see, and even further than she had been today. Or yesterday. Or last year?
The ground was broken and shifted between grey and dark grey, always a shade of death, of sorrow, of suffering. Mountains rose and fell in the distance, and whether it was her eyes or not, they seemed to move and shift like the rugged spines of ancient beasts. Oh, she heard them too. Their demonic howls ever so frequently breaking the eerie wind of the world. Eyes blinked in and out of existence, growls reverberated along the fractured ground.
The demon was no more. The ancient child of the power of drakes and daemons, was no more. The corrupter of her lover, was no more. Yet she knew, even here in this twisted valence, it was merely a nest of the evils and power her order was born to face and to control.
But not like this.
Not by walking among them.
The denizens of the dark had not moved on her since she was left behind. They had not bothered her in days. Or had it been years? Was she left behind? No, it was her choosing, she tried to remind herself. A sacrifice to ensure the doorway of demons was closed.
Yes, it had been some time that she had been wandering, seemingly unscathed. But it would not be much longer now, she knew in her mind. Her potency was failing. She could feel her life slowly fleeting, like a draft beneath a door. The demons at the edge of the world and the edge of her mind could feel it too.
But it was not in her blood to stop, to surrender, to accept it. No, she would wander, and she would do so for as long as it took. Perhaps only another day, another year, or another moment.
Her steps became slower, the ground fluid among her feet. An opening appeared in the ground, then another, cracks stretching across the ground. No, not cracks, she realized. It was not even rock and dirt she treaded upon.
As she began to lose her balance, she soon realized she had been walking across the jagged, dark grey backs of gnarled, faceless creatures. Soon the footing beneath her gave way as the demonic beings separated, one by one, sinewy wings sprouting from their backs as they took to the blood laced sky. The wind caught her scream just as she opened her mouth.
There was only silence as she fell into the depths of darkness, further and further until…
The task at hand was daunting.
The air in the office was heavy with the burdens and sins of the past. It was suffocated by the missteps of every other leader who had filled the position before. Unfortunately, or fortunately, more dust than paper had piled up on the desk. This was not where he wanted to be. This was not where he belonged.
In his old life, he had been a killer. A greedy man who took to the role of an assassin, the perfect tool for the Turamzzyrian Empire to wield about whenever they needed to eradicate loose ends or cover up mistakes. The witch, he realized, was one loose end that never seemed to run out of thread.
He looked out the window and across the town center, watching as men and women, even some children, worked tirelessly into the night to help clear debris from the streets and repair homes and buildings. In his days as a mercenary and murderer, he had often heard of the skeleton crews left to man imperial ships after bloody wars with the krolvin. Now he saw one at work in the streets of the town.
Fires had burned homes. Golems had destroyed shops. Krolvin had created dozens of orphans, and airships had battered their walls, and their spirits. The last four years had been one nightmare after the next, all connected, all interwoven and leading up to the chaos they supposedly prevented.
But at what cost?
Was darkness really stopped? Was chaos truly thwarted? He looked around at the horrors in the town, the ruin, the suffering, the children with no parents, the parents with lost children. It would be months, if not years before the town returned to any resemblance of what it was once before the first urnon golem stepped through their gates. It would be a lifetime before the hearts and minds of the people were healed, and only then would they find an end in the silence of death.
For a moment, he didn’t fault the last mayor. He understood in that moment how much weight was placed on the shoulders of the town’s leaders, time and again. He reflected on his old life, when his missions were always clear. The end result nearly always the same. Those missions paled in comparison to the one before him now.
He was no longer human. In many ways. When the town saw him, they saw the face and form of a monster. A savage. An orc. He had earned the respect and loyalty of the militia, and he held favor among the many adventurers in town. But how long until they forget? How long before the Empire refuses to deal with an orc? Would his presence only bring more trouble?
He wasn’t certain anymore. His mission was no longer clear. The survival of a town would be logistics. The survival of its people might be impossible. He had lost as much as they had, family, old friends, allies. Perhaps he fit in more than he thought. But his visage would remind people otherwise.
He looked around the office. He was alone, except the tan bloodhound in the corner, asleep and snoring. Whether he deserved it or not, the torch had been passed to him. Who else would lead? No one else, right now. He questioned his ability to be the leader they needed, but he never questioned his resolve to try.
The door to the office opened, and the bloodhound leapt to its feet, its eyes going wide as if expecting an old master, an old friend. The dog’s face physically shifted when it realized it was wrong, and it slowly hung its head and padded back over to the side of the desk, where it laid down with a heavy sigh.
A messenger walked in, carrying a sealed note, which he handed to the orc and then left without further fanfare.
He held the note in his hand for a moment, wondering if it was another report on imperial scouts scouring the environs and the rumors of their extended visit. Surely he had hoped not, as any lingering imperial presence would only make matters worse.
He broke the seal on the parchment and it read: “Thrayzar, my dear old friend. With a new world ripe for the picking, I think it is high time we finally settle the score, for good. I’ll be burying you real soon. Love, Drangell.”
The orc clenched his fist and snarled. It was in that moment his mission became very, very clear.
The great bell of the temple rang out.
He watched from a balcony, his golden eyes as bright as the marbled floors of the chamber behind him. Ivory pillars, brocade curtains, elaborate tapestries, ornate doors, and a foundation the size of a fortress. It was only fitting, he told himself. The enemies of Koar were out there, and the great people of Talador needed a place to worship safely, to find protection for their bodies, and to find comfort for their souls.
He looked to the north, to the old mine road that was once abandoned and nearly overgrown. How things had changed now, with the mines reopened and the road cleared of foliage and more busy than some of their city streets. He smiled as the steady flow of workers came and went, knowing that each one that returned, the city’s wealth, and his wealth, increased.
No, the Church’s wealth, he reminded himself. Their mission would need funding to sustain such an enormous goal. Some considered it lofty, but he knew it was righteous. In time, so would they. The light of Koar would spread to all reaches of the world, even into the depths of the darkness. There was never a more obvious time in history to illustrate the dangers of evil left unchecked.
The world had almost been thrown into shadows, and now with that threat gone, it would only be a matter of time until another rose in its place, or two, or three. A great awakening was needed, he knew. Koar’s light, in every stretch of land, behind every door and window, inside every heart and soul.
For those refusing to see the light, and for those embracing the darkness of evil, there was only one option for them.
Just then a knock came from the chamber doors, and he stepped in off of the balcony and moved over to his high-backed chair. Reaching to the side, he lifted up his ornate gold staff which was capped with a chiseled shard of blood marble.
His voice commanded the visitor to come in.
The messenger stepped into the chamber, his body garbed in a stark white tabard, a golden white crown emblazoned on the chest. The fabric was slightly uneven, hinting to heavy armor beneath. He unveiled a scroll and unfolded it. “M’Lord, we’ve word of a group in the next city, a small cult of Marlu worshippers, we think we’ve located their meeting place.”
He sat upon his chair, his eyes fixated on the smooth stone of the blood marble, “Where was it found?”
“In cellars, in one of their nobleman’s homes. But there is no indication of their worship to the creature Althedeus. Our information was wrong.” The messenger replied.
He nodded, his smile causing his golden eyes to shine, “No, it was not. Darkness is darkness, regardless of what the name branded to it is. Dispatch the Blameless, have them eradicate the cell you’ve found and their bloodlines. We will ensure no taint of the shadows remain.”
The messenger furrowed his brow, “But M’Lord, there was no evidence of any involvement with the shadows, or anti-Arkati movement.”
He smiled, a wicked, self-righteous grin, “A detail easily arranged.”
The messenger nodded in submission, “Yes M’Lord.” Then he turned and left.
He rose then from his chair and slowly paced over to an ornate cabinet, carefully unlocking it with a set of keys. He opened the lacquered white oak doors and peered inside. Shelves lined the cabinet, each one covered in swaths of smooth black velvet. Looking on each shelf, he calculated the items. Two, four, sixteen, thirty. Each one designed the same, each one a pair to the other. He nodded, closing the cabinet doors and locking the amulets inside.
The black coral amulets.
The cavern was dark and heavy with the stink of death.
The walls crawled with bugs, maggots and worms. They slowly crept along the earthen rocks, each wall glistening with blood, some fresh, some old. Bones littered the ground like cobblestones, weaving in and out of the cave, some broken and cracked while others still held rotting bits of flesh or fur. Crude tools were strewn about near the small entrance, and a small pock-faced goblin absentmindedly chewed on the uncooked leg of a rabbit.
Black scarabs skittered along the ground, pooling around the goblin’s feet then rippling like a puddle of shadows, inching towards the furthest wall inside the cave. The goblin squealed with half-fear, half-delight and dropped his food, rushing inside. There, at the end of the cavern was an old stone altar upon which rested a tattered and stained black robe. Dried blood caked the sides of the altar and in some areas around its base.
The swarm of bugs glided across the uneven ground and then spiraling up the edge of the altar like a plume of dark smoke. Their tiny shells glistened, and their hundreds of feet clicked eerily as they traveled across the stone and disappeared into the folds of the black garment. Soon the robe began to inflate, widening as a form began to grow within.
The goblin dropped to its knees and began groveling, shouting its praise in a brutish language. The sound soon brought other goblins from out of the shadows, and one by one they lower to the ground in reverence. Finally the form upon the altar was complete, and the old woman stepped down, her bare feet touching the coating of dried blood beneath her.
The woman’s hair was dark and ratty, her eyes full of venom and power and stained a viridian hue. Maggots still squirmed along her pale, wrinkled flesh before finally burrowing beneath her skin, disappearing altogether. She looked around at her surroundings, her bony fingers tracing through the air. The goblins broke from their trance when the witch’s cackle reverberated through the cave.
“I am hungry…” the old crone’s voice spoke.
The servants nodded and two of them scrambled out of sight, returning shortly after and dragging a small cage between them. Inside of the cage was another goblin, one whose eyes and face she recognized at once. The witch inched closer, putting her face to the cage to inspect further and then grinned, satisfied when she saw the small stiletto tattoo on the creature’s neck.
The imprisoned goblin did not cower, or even flinch, when the old woman got near. He stared out of the cell, his tiny eyes cold and yet still filled with defiance. Whatever her plans, it seemed, the goblin dared her to do it. No, he welcomed her to do it.
The witch turned away and went back to her altar, shifting through the bones on the ground before finding one with a small residual of meat left. The goblin servants looked at her, befuddled, until one dared to ask, “You…you will not eat him?”
The witch cackled, “No my little pets. I have bigger and better plans for that one. Yes…and he will serve that goal quite nicely.”
With death no longer a sentence hanging over his head, the stiletto-marked goblin blinked when he heard the woman’s decision. The end did not frighten him anymore. But her nefarious purpose did.
The goblin in the cage let out a small whimper, and the witch on the altar cackled.
Each step drew him closer.
The warm sun blazed across the desert, forcing him to squint as the radiant light shimmered along the sands like a sea of orange. Hot winds stirred dust and grime, stinging his face as he pressed on. Those who had gone beside him had fallen behind.
They had refused to go further.
They had refused to risk their souls for his promises.
Dunes rose and fell in the distance, like a rolling tide of sand. Storms churned across their surfaces, shaping some while destroying others. The very ground he walked seemed to shift every passing moment, threatening to give way any second.
Threatening to consume him.
He gripped the edges of his black robe around him, pulling it tight and staring as far down as he safely could, allowing the cover of his hood to ward off the wind and sand. Warm and blue, the sky would soon deepen with the shadow of night, and he knew his destination would be reached long before dusk.
He felt the call. His mind echoed with the sound of the powerful beckoning.
His hands trembled, for the first time since his youth.
They shook with anxiety, with fear, with thirst.
Soon the gleaming sand beneath his feet gave way to black, his hood falling back and his gaze rising to meet the great, ancient monoliths climbing before him. Their huge surfaces were as black as the void, and periodically whorls of ethereal light danced along their edges, almost pulling him into a trance.
The shadows of the monoliths stretched far beyond him, vastly in every direction. He felt the draw of the structures, he heard the whispers of their spirits.
But he had not come for them.
Standing in the sea of fiery sand and shadow all around him, he paused, his deep sea blue eyes calmly scanning the ground, his mind calling out.
A mere two feet in front of him, a shimmer of viridian light appeared.
Grishom Stone stretched out his hand, palm turned to the sky.
Ascending from the sand, a crystal green orb floated up into his grasp.
He grinned.
-GM Kenstrom-
Waylayer of Wehnimer's Landing
Human Guru
Giantmen Guru
GS4-KENSTROM
WARLORD1871
Re: Cross into Shadows: Epilogue
01/11/2015 01:05 AM CST
Very interesting :-)
Fyrentennimar
Quote: "Jaynah says, "This is more fun than rolton tipping and blood eagle ridin combined.""
Fyrentennimar
Quote: "Jaynah says, "This is more fun than rolton tipping and blood eagle ridin combined.""
FLAYED-ANGEL
Re: Cross into Shadows: Epilogue
01/11/2015 01:17 AM CST
I love teasers! :D
Greatly looking forward to seeing where these lead. You should do a Half-Off Deed Sale this week in the Landing, to celebrate our non-destruction. Just sayin'.
>>On Monday, I intend to write up a big long post of thank yous and some other details, but I'm exhausted, so can't do it tonight.
Totes understand, and for now -- let me simply say... fantastic job, so take your well-deserved rest, sirrah... heh.
"Bring me your suffering. The rattle roar of broken bones. Bring me the riot in your heart. Angry, wild and raw. Bring it all. I am not afraid of the dark."
- mia hollow
Greatly looking forward to seeing where these lead. You should do a Half-Off Deed Sale this week in the Landing, to celebrate our non-destruction. Just sayin'.
>>On Monday, I intend to write up a big long post of thank yous and some other details, but I'm exhausted, so can't do it tonight.
Totes understand, and for now -- let me simply say... fantastic job, so take your well-deserved rest, sirrah... heh.
| [this post brought to you by sleep deprivation.] |
"Bring me your suffering. The rattle roar of broken bones. Bring me the riot in your heart. Angry, wild and raw. Bring it all. I am not afraid of the dark."
- mia hollow
COYOTERRE
Re: Cross into Shadows: Epilogue
01/11/2015 10:27 AM CST
Nicely written, as always. I guess we'll have to see if/what punishment the old boy faces before we consider our next response. ;-)
SAY, won't these little vignettes be just GREAT on the (soon to be formally released) GS WIKI? I think so, yes!
~ Bill, Coyote.
The best government is a benevolent tyranny tempered by an occasional assassination.
~ Voltaire
SAY, won't these little vignettes be just GREAT on the (soon to be formally released) GS WIKI? I think so, yes!
~ Bill, Coyote.
The best government is a benevolent tyranny tempered by an occasional assassination.
~ Voltaire
DMWCINCY
Re: Cross into Shadows: Epilogue
01/11/2015 10:58 AM CST
Orc and trolls and witches oh my!
Gave a bit of information on some of the NPCs i had questions on. Still seems like corruption is this in talador. I do really hope the goblin in the cage isnt a certain one that lost most his tribe. Poor guy had enough already but would be a good tie in for the orc. I am kind of sad to not see anything from the second watcher or theredill. Anything on those two? Is the murlu group led by him?
FALAN
Re: Cross into Shadows: Epilogue
01/11/2015 11:20 AM CST
And the plot thickens.. dun Dun DUN...
__________________________
- Kobold in Disguise Falvicar
You swing a silver-edged black veil iron katana at Sevynne!
* Sevynne drops dead at your feet!
* Sevynne just bit the dust!
__________________________
- Kobold in Disguise Falvicar
You swing a silver-edged black veil iron katana at Sevynne!
* Sevynne drops dead at your feet!
* Sevynne just bit the dust!
ALUVIUS
Re: Cross into Shadows: Epilogue
01/11/2015 12:18 PM CST
" ... his mind calling out."
Savants!! :)
FIREPHOENIX
Re: Cross into Shadows: Epilogue
01/11/2015 05:20 PM CST
Folks may not know who all these excerpts are based off so here goes:
1. Stephos D'Archon landing in potentially Idolone.
2. The Palestra Blade, Aralyte stuck in the distortion and likely warped into the shadows as her strength failed (Zerg Queen!?)
3. Interim Wehnimer's Landing Mayor Thrayzar, the human who is cursed to be an orc.
4. Prelate Chaston Griffin revealing his true(r) intentions and first mention of the Blameless.
5. The Witch Raznel with some interesting explanation behind her. Is the captured goblin Stiletto?
6. The one, the only, Grishom Stone. (I lived the Savants! response in the posts)
-J of G
1. Stephos D'Archon landing in potentially Idolone.
2. The Palestra Blade, Aralyte stuck in the distortion and likely warped into the shadows as her strength failed (Zerg Queen!?)
3. Interim Wehnimer's Landing Mayor Thrayzar, the human who is cursed to be an orc.
4. Prelate Chaston Griffin revealing his true(r) intentions and first mention of the Blameless.
5. The Witch Raznel with some interesting explanation behind her. Is the captured goblin Stiletto?
6. The one, the only, Grishom Stone. (I lived the Savants! response in the posts)
-J of G
DMWCINCY
Re: Cross into Shadows: Epilogue
01/11/2015 06:37 PM CST
**Since there is no EDIT BUTTON I deleted my last post so i could clarify what I was trying to say**
3: Yes the post is about they mayor Thrayzar. At the end of that part it mentions a letter from his hated enemy Drangel. Their relationship goes back to when both of the two were men used by the Hall to try to kill Ranzel. The witch got the better of them and turned them into an orc and a troll. Drangel had his curse broken by force and the orc refused it. As for the rest of that story feel free to ask Pup in game sometime.
5: Yes that is the goblin Stiletto. Stiletto and Thrayzar were friends and formed a tribe together which the adventurers of the landing destroyed on accident. It seems Stiletto is being used against the orc and several people of the landing that calls the goblin friend and family.
3: Yes the post is about they mayor Thrayzar. At the end of that part it mentions a letter from his hated enemy Drangel. Their relationship goes back to when both of the two were men used by the Hall to try to kill Ranzel. The witch got the better of them and turned them into an orc and a troll. Drangel had his curse broken by force and the orc refused it. As for the rest of that story feel free to ask Pup in game sometime.
5: Yes that is the goblin Stiletto. Stiletto and Thrayzar were friends and formed a tribe together which the adventurers of the landing destroyed on accident. It seems Stiletto is being used against the orc and several people of the landing that calls the goblin friend and family.
RISHIB1
Re: Cross into Shadows: Epilogue
01/11/2015 08:48 PM CST
Does anyone have a log of whatever happened Saturday night? (I'm assuming with Walkar) The wife was not going to permit two evenings lost to GS. :)
Rishi
- Player of Kembal
Speaking to Plur, Belnia says, "You're no Kembal."
Rishi
- Player of Kembal
Speaking to Plur, Belnia says, "You're no Kembal."
FIREPHOENIX
Re: Cross into Shadows: Epilogue
01/12/2015 12:13 AM CST
I do. I'll see what I can do about posting the brief of it here. While we're at it would someone offer the shadow realm and city defense viewpoints for the night. I can do the Reach eventually.
-G
-G
SCRAPPERK
Re: Cross into Shadows: Epilogue Landing Streets
01/12/2015 11:40 AM CST
This is a heavily edited log of the battle in the streets of The Landing.
Dark, chilling laughter echoes across the sky like a powerful thunderclap.
Along rooftops, dark hooded figures perch, bows slung over their shoulders and the moon gleaming along their razor-sharp steel beaks.
Stars begin to blink out of existance, overtaken by large forms approaching in the distance.
Darkly garbed Nalfein elves take to the streets and rooftops, some with arrows nocked in their bows, others standing like statues, moonlight gleaming off of their swords.
Streams of crimson bleed across the sky like jagged, dripping wounds.
Airships emerge from the shadow of night, the moon gleaming along the surface of their veniom hulls. A great army of shadowy black golems line their decks, their hollow eyes trained on Wehnimer's Landing.
On the horizon of Darkstone Bay, the dark silhouette of krolvin warships can be spotted.
You say, "We will take the docks, send a party to the beach."
A bolt of purple lightning zigs, zags, and zooms through the sky, moving between airships as it draws closer to town.
A bolt of purple lightning zips and lands outside of town!
A horn blares in the distance as Hendoran troops begin to march on Melgorehn's Reach.
A flash of crimson light flares in the distance.
A huge imperial wagon with a bluish-white pylon is rolled into Town Square Central.
A flash of blue-white light appears from the pylon near Voln!
A flash of blue-white light appears from the pylon near Melgorehn's Reach!
Airships soar into view over Wehnimer's Landing, crimson lightning crackling around them as golems fall from the sky along South Ring Road!
[Wehnimer's, South Ring Rd.]
Many of the travellers through this part of town appear to be pilgrims, priests and monks. They travel to and fro, moving along the quiet road to the north. The hoot of an owl echoes from somewhere beyond the palisade wall. You also see the Aureliano disk, a swirling shadow golem that is lying down, a blackened wooden building and a burnt wooden building.
Moments later, one less golem.
A flash of crimson light flares in the distance, somewhere within Lower Dragonsclaw. Walkar's voice cries out, "Tonight....we are not elven, or human, or dwarf! We are not Vornavian, or Hendoran! We are Elanthia!"
You hear a loud crash as a black krolvin carrack smashes into the docks, krolvin leaping from its rigging with weapons raised!
[Wehnimer's, North Dock]
The dock's planks are dull and weathered from the salt spray of many seasons. Northward beyond the massive sea gates, a flock of ice geese passes, silhouetted against the sky over the dark blue waters of Darkstone Bay. The hulk of a derelict coastal sailer is tethered to the end of the pier. You also see a wild-eyed krolvin plunderer that appears rather calm, a wild-eyed krolvin plunderer that appears rather calm, a wild-eyed krolvin plunderer that appears rather calm, a lithe krolvin swashbuckler that appears stunned, a lithe krolvin swashbuckler that appears stunned, a lithe krolvin swashbuckler that appears dead, a lithe krolvin swashbuckler that appears dead, a lithe krolvin swashbuckler that appears stunned, a lithe krolvin swashbuckler that appears dead, a ravenous krolvin berserker that appears stunned, a ravenous krolvin berserker that appears stunned, a ravenous krolvin berserker that appears rather calm, a large krolvin shaman that appears rather calm, a large krolvin shaman that appears rather calm, a black krolvin carrack, a huge imperial wagon with a glowing blue-white pylon on it, a stack of empty crates, the dark waters of Darkstone Bay and a large white-sailed ship.
Some folks were already giving the invaders a hard time before we arrived.
A few more waves of invaders came from the ship, and were sent to meet their gods.
Once the area was clear, the defenders attacked the carrack, successfully.
More golem sightings from North Ring Road.
You say, "Breaking off to engage the golem."
Met the golem, already engaged. It was not happy at us.
A huge shadowy black mein golem lifts its enormous mein foot and tries to stomp on XXXX!
AS: +976 vs DS: +823 with AvD: +44 + d100 roll: +48 = +245
A huge shadowy black mein golem lifts its enormous mein foot and tries to stomp on XXXXX!
AS: +976 vs DS: +707 with AvD: +29 + d100 roll: +65 = +363
A huge shadowy black mein golem lifts its enormous mein foot and tries to stomp on you!
AS: +976 vs DS: +595 with AvD: +33 + d100 roll: +59 = +473
A huge shadowy black mein golem lifts its enormous mein foot and tries to stomp on you!
AS: +976 vs DS: +552 with AvD: +33 + d100 roll: +1 = +458
(For flavor)
Bleeding:
Area Health per Round Tended
Left leg 2 No
I believe it was angry about it's lost friend from earlier.
Aiska steadies the glowing blue-white pylon and fires! The bolt of energy soars through the sky, slamming into the side of a deep black elven airship! A HIT!
Back into the fray!
[Wehnimer's, Parsnips St.]
This broad conduit leading between the south wall and the square stands nearly deserted after dark, only a few footsteps echoing on the lamplit cobblestones. To one side stands a sedate and dignified shop, the scroll-like sign over its door inscribed in a striking and elegant manner. You also see a huge shadowy black mein golem, a burly Chastonian soldier that appears dead and the building that houses the offices of the town's leading and only newspaper.
Also here: XXXXX
Obvious paths: north, south
A huge shadowy black mein golem lifts its enormous mein foot and tries to stomp on XXXXX!
AS: +989 vs DS: +832 with AvD: +42 + d100 roll: +51 = +250
... and hits for 74 points of damage!
Solid strike caves XXXXXX's skull in, resulting in instant death!
* XXXXX drops dead at your feet!
A huge shadowy black mein golem lifts its huge foot up and slams it into the ground, shaking everything violently!
Everyone falls down!
You lose your footing and fall to the ground!
A bedraggled scout drags the corpse of a burly Chastonian soldier away hurriedly.
Shadows writhe and flicker along the ground. The shrieks and moans of those long dead resound around the exterior of Wehnimer's Landing!
A huge shadowy black mein golem prepares itself for a mighty attack!
A huge shadowy black mein golem lifts its enormous mein foot and tries to stomp on you!
AS: +989 vs DS: +435 with AvD: +33 + d100 roll: +34 = +621
It seems you have died, my friend. Although you cannot do anything, you are keenly aware of what is going on around you...
You mentally give a sigh of relief as you remember that the Goddess Lorminstra owes you a favor.
(Someone bought deeds!)
A huge shadowy black mein golem stands upright after its kill, standing expressionless in victory.
* Greganth just bit the dust! (First of a few)
Special mention to the triage in The Orchard. I was healed and back up in mere minutes.
Airships circle around Wehnimer's Landing, dropping golems on to the streets below them!
We fight back!
Ernesta steadies the glowing blue-white pylon and fires! The bolt of energy soars through the sky, exploding as it strikes a deep black elven airship, causing the vessel to plummet to the ground with a loud crash! DESTROYED!
You hear a loud crash as a huge black krolvin galleon smashes into the docks, krolvin leaping from its rigging with weapons raised!
The then undead arrived.
[Town Square, Northwest]
This corner of the square is lively and hectic even at night. A number of representatives of the Landing's population, including several elven loggers and a party of rough-looking dwarves, loiter around the door of the Raging Thrak Inn, where the rowdy cheers of patrons and voices raised in songs of many sorts, from snatches of heroic ballads to blushingly bawdy tunes, beckon you to enter. You also see a putrid human blacksmith, a putrid human blacksmith, a large wooden makeshift stand with some stuff on it and a chipped granite statue.
[Wehnimer's, North Ring Rd.]
Here along the main north road, the roughhewn logs of the modwir wood palisade echo passing footsteps on the bumpy cobbled path. The cold, briny night breeze from the nearby bay fills the air in spite of the sturdy barricade. You also see a wild-eyed krolvin plunderer, a snarling krolvin raider and a battered blackened stone fortress.
>w
A decaying Wehnimer's militiaman pauses for a moment, wavering with indecision.
A swirling shadow golem lopes in.
A swirling shadow golem pounds at you with its black fists!
The temporal rifting continued, in the heat of battle it proved to be quite a distraction.
The air bends and shimmers, odd sounds popping and humming in the distance. Colors bleed away all around you and you feel a brief, but powerful sense of vertigo as your surroundings shift.
[Wehnimer's, Shanty Town ]
A few scraggly trees cast dark shadows over this clearing at the center of an assortment of ramshackle huts. Although the area seems dark and deserted, occasional movements in the windows of the huts indicate that the road may not be unobserved. Small footpaths lead in several directions. The hut closest to the street seems to be built largely of broken crates. You also see a swirling shadow golem, a huge shadowy black mein golem, a swirling shadow golem, a swirling shadow golem that is lying down, a swirling shadow golem and a burly Chastonian soldier that appears dead.
Slowly, Lake Eonak shifts to black like living, writhing shadows. The stars reflected in its once smooth surface bleed away.
A huge shadowy black mein golem raises its hands high, laces them together and brings them crashing down towards you!
A huge shadowy black mein golem catches you square in the back! You topple to the ground!
Roundtime: 5 sec.
Sensing an impending attack, you manage to roll hard to the side, and then leap to your feet!
A swirling shadow golem pounds at you with its black fists!
With no room to spare, you block the attack with your red fireleaf shield! (Study your CMans, people.)
Called in his big brother.
A huge shadowy black mein golem arrives, methodically striding forward.
A huge shadowy black mein golem raises its hands high, laces them together and brings them crashing down towards you!
A huge shadowy black mein golem catches you square in the back! You topple to the ground in a dazed heap!
It seems you have died, my friend. Although you cannot do anything, you are keenly aware of what is going on around you...
You mentally give a sigh of relief as you remember that the Goddess Lorminstra owes you a favor.
A huge shadowy black mein golem stands upright after its kill, standing expressionless in victory.
A swirling shadow golem stops, remaining motionless. The only animation is the flickering lights that dance throughout its body.
* Greganth just bit the dust! (Look up irony.)
Back up, round 3!
Walkar's voice howls in the distance, a flash of red light erupting nearby! The sound of undead Taladorians crumbling accompany his cry!
At this point we were starting to be concerned over the lack of intel from the other two fronts. The lack of communication of how things were proceeding elsewhere was beginning to weigh.
A horde of krolvin rush from a huge black galleon that has crashed into the docks, setting ablaze homes and shops in their wake!
A muscular Voln warrior swings a glowing white ora broadsword at a decaying Wehnimer's militiaman!
You hear a sound like a weeping child as a white glow separates itself from the Wehnimer's militiaman's body as it rises, disappearing into the heavens.
The Wehnimer's militiaman falls to the ground motionless.
A muscular Voln warrior exclaims, "I shall always be triumphant!"
Give 'em hell.
A large black airship maneuvers over the Erebor Square, golems dropping to the streets below with air-splitting whistles!
A huge shadowy black mein golem stands upright after its kill, standing expressionless in victory.
I hate these things.
* Greganth just bit the dust!
Round 4!
Pylasar's voice echoes faintly, somewhere nearby. Behind you, beside you, in the distance, somewhere nearby.
A flash of red light erupts in the distance, Walkar's howl piercing the night!
Rooks upon rooftops fire arrows at the enemys, as a grey-cloaked orc moves through the streets towards the docks, moving on the krolvin.
Jonks steadies the glowing blue-white pylon and fires! The bolt of energy soars through the sky, slamming into the side of a deep black elven airship! A HIT!
A low rumble echoes through the room making your hair stand on end. A single point of light flickers to life in the center of the room moments before erupting into a massive swirling vortex! (TSC, Ugh)
[Temporal Rift]
Time and space seem to swirl around you. You catch brief glimpses of events both past and future. Beyond these strange and confusing visions extends a vast, ever-changing field of stars, pinpoints of light against unfathomable utter blackness. It is very cold here.
Gravely steadies the glowing blue-white pylon and fires! The bolt of energy soars through the sky, slamming into the side of a deep black elven airship! A HIT!
You hear someone shouting from a nearby rooftop, "Man the pylons! Bring down those airships before they get in range!" (Door meet horse.)
Drandar steadies the glowing blue-white pylon and fires! The bolt of energy soars through the sky, slamming into the side of a deep black elven airship! A HIT!
Still no news from how the other fronts were faring.
Ernesta steadies the glowing blue-white pylon and fires! The bolt of energy soars through the sky, slamming into the side of a deep black elven airship! A HIT!
A lone airship surges down towards Wehnimer's Landing, its bow aimed right at the temple!
You exclaim, "Get it!"
Kaedra steadies the glowing blue-white pylon and fires! The bolt of energy soars through the sky, slamming into the side of a deep black elven airship! A HIT!
An ancient female gnome wanders through, sweeping some of the leaves and twigs into a basket with her wooden rake. After a quick look around, her wizened old face creases into a grin, and she winks at you as she wanders away again. (Some people have work that is never done.)
Moved to check the damage at Erebor Square.
The shadows seem to shift and take on a solid form as an ethereal black wraithling appears!
A black-winged incarnadine bat descends from the ebony sky high above!
These were dispatched rapidly by defenders who were already on the scene.
Patrolling...
[Wehnimer's, Cheridin Ave.]
Several small shops crowd along the street, which is composed of the back walls of the high buildings bordering the central square. Each storefront vies with the others for street space and the attention of the many travellers who pass through here. A few traders, hoping to take advantage of some late business attracted by the nearby temple, have set up stands and pushcarts filled with clothing, trinkets and souvenirs. You also see a spiky mottled black abyran'ra and the clerics' shop.
Obvious paths: north, east
(Hey where did you come from?)
A spiky mottled black abyran'ra lashes its tail at you in a whip-like fashion!
You evade the attack by a hair!
This demon did not survive the encounter.
All around the battle raged on...
Rowmi steadies the glowing blue-white pylon and fires! The bolt of energy soars through the sky, slamming into the side of a deep black elven airship! A HIT!
A shadowy, bone-chilling haze settles over Wehnimer's Landing, flashes of crimson lightning arc within it as the moan of the undead echo around you!
We head for the gates to defend.
[Wehnimer's, Exterior]
The muted sounds of loud bartering from within Wehnimer's Landing, and the lonely calls of a pair of mated fenvaoks high up in the air vie for your attention as you march along the outer western edge of the town. You also see an arrow, a rotting tanik box, an ivy-covered white monir tower, a splintered wooden gate and a tall wooden archery tower.
A dirt-caked Taladorian skeleton just arrived!
A wooden arrow arcs into the area and hits the ground with a sharp THUNK!
An arrow arcs into the area and hits the ground with a sharp THUNK!
(We will fight in the shade!)
A wooden arrow arcs into the area and hits the ground with a sharp THUNK!
An arrow arcs into the room and hits you!
Seomanthe yells, "Left, left!"
* Elithain just bit the dust!
Shadows bleed through the night sky, suffocating the stars. Around Melgorehn's Reach, a crown of shadows slowly forms.
A flash of crimson light flares in the distance and Walkar's voice shouts nearby!
A yellow-eyed gaunt shadow wight chants an evil incantation. (Scary)
* Nottinghamm just bit the dust!
* Puptilian just bit the dust!
* Kembal just bit the dust!
* Qistra just bit the dust!
* Anru just bit the dust!
* Goldtree just bit the dust!
* Eshielle just bit the dust!
* Nektarius just bit the dust!
* Drambik just bit the dust!
* Falvicar just bit the dust!
* Gutios just bit the dust!
* Aenternoll just bit the dust!
* Demyse just bit the dust!
* Lylia just bit the dust!
* Vohndolarr just bit the dust!
* Hadya just bit the dust!
* Amynara just bit the dust!
* Mystiq just bit the dust!
* Fyrentennimar just bit the dust!
* Kethissil just bit the dust!
* Masrath just bit the dust!
Oops.
The gaunt shadow wight suddenly transforms into a horridly grotesque image, inducing utter terror in your soul!
You instantly panic and run away in complete terror. The only thought in your mind is to flee to safety!
Everything is a blur in your mind as you run for your life!
Everything is a blur in your mind as you run for your life!
Everything is a blur in your mind as you run for your life!
Everything is a blur in your mind as you run for your life!
Everything is a blur in your mind as you run for your life!
Everything is a blur in your mind as you run for your life!
Everything is a blur in your mind as you run for your life!
Everything is a blur in your mind as you run for your life!
Everything is a blur in your mind as you run for your life!
Everything is a blur in your mind as you run for your life!
Your legs finally tire and you begin to calm down.
Must have been a spider.
The stars begin to fade in the sky as it darkens, blood dripping from the air. The stars soon return, glowing fiery red like a black banner filled with a thousand glowing crimson eyes.
[Town Square, East ]
Here in the center of a broad plaza near the commercial area of the bazaar stands the impressive facade of the slate-roofed Moot Hall, where the citizens of Wehnimer's Landing hold various official, religious and social functions. Facing the square are some of the town's more prosperous shops, still doing business with the many customers who still frequent the streets at night. You also see a long-nosed air wyrdling, a large blood red globule, a wooden arrow, a large purple wooden barrel and a stained table setup with quills and ink jars.
The shadows spread across Lake Eonak begin to bubble and twist.
A flash of red light appears in the distance and Walkar goes running across some nearby rooftops in Wehnimer's Landing. With a deep howl, he propels himself up into the air, soaring like a red comet and leaping onto the deck of an airship! An army of black golems descend on him, and he spins among them with his weapon like a wild man.
A grey-cloaked red orc leaps across nearby rooftops, jumping down to engage the undead.
The undead was at every step, but we had heard word of a Vathor in the area, and kept searching.
[Town Square, Northwest]
This corner of the square is lively and hectic even at night. A number of representatives of the Landing's population, including several elven loggers and a party of rough-looking dwarves, loiter around the door of the Raging Thrak Inn, where the rowdy cheers of patrons and voices raised in songs of many sorts, from snatches of heroic ballads to blushingly bawdy tunes, beckon you to enter. You also see a battered antique faewood crate, the Jeril disk, a decaying Wehnimer's militiaman, a decaying human trapper, a huge shadowy black vathor, a decaying Wehnimer's militiaman, a burly Chastonian soldier, a large wooden makeshift stand with some stuff on it and a chipped granite statue.
Seomanthe's green-gold eyes sharpen vividly, becoming more brilliant as she hums a sonorous bass melody.
Seomanthe gestures at a huge shadowy black vathor.
A shadow seems to detach itself from a huge shadowy black vathor, swiftly dissipating into the air.
The elemental aura around a huge shadowy black vathor wavers.
A huge shadowy black vathor cleaves a burning trail of fiery sigils through the air.
Seomanthe's green-gold eyes sharpen vividly, becoming more brilliant as she hums a sonorous bass melody.
Seomanthe gestures at a huge shadowy black vathor.
A huge shadowy black vathor blinks and looks around in confusion for a moment.
Seomanthe's green-gold eyes sharpen vividly, becoming more brilliant as she hums a sonorous bass melody.
Seomanthe gestures at a huge shadowy black vathor.
The bright luminescence fades from around a huge shadowy black vathor.
You swing a white laen broadsword at a huge shadowy black vathor!
Seomanthe's green-gold eyes sharpen vividly, becoming more brilliant as she hums a sonorous bass melody.
Seomanthe gestures at a huge shadowy black vathor.
The brilliant luminescence fades from around a huge shadowy black vathor.
Jeril assaults a huge shadowy black vathor with an unrelenting fury!
Jeril swings a perfect vultite maul at a huge shadowy black vathor!
Seomanthe's green-gold eyes sharpen vividly, becoming more brilliant as she hums a sonorous bass melody.
Seomanthe gestures at a huge shadowy black vathor.
A huge shadowy black vathor glances around, looking a bit less confident.
You swing a white laen broadsword at a huge shadowy black vathor!
Seomanthe's green-gold eyes sharpen vividly, becoming more brilliant as she hums a sonorous bass melody.
Seomanthe gestures at a huge shadowy black vathor.
The tingling sensation and sense of security leaves a huge shadowy black vathor.
Jeril assaults a huge shadowy black vathor with an unrelenting fury!
Jeril swings a perfect vultite maul at a huge shadowy black vathor!
You swing a white laen broadsword at a huge shadowy black vathor!
Seomanthe's green-gold eyes sharpen vividly, becoming more brilliant as she hums a sonorous bass melody.
Seomanthe gestures at a huge shadowy black vathor.
The silvery luminescence fades from around a huge shadowy black vathor.
Seomanthe's green-gold eyes sharpen vividly, becoming more brilliant as she hums a sonorous bass melody.
Seomanthe gestures at a huge shadowy black vathor.
A huge shadowy black vathor blinks and looks around in confusion for a moment.
You swing a white laen broadsword at a huge shadowy black vathor!
Jeril rages across the battlefield, striking with unrelenting fury!
Seomanthe's green-gold eyes sharpen vividly, becoming more brilliant as she hums a sonorous bass melody.
Seomanthe gestures at a huge shadowy black vathor.
The deep blue glow leaves a huge shadowy black vathor.
A huge shadowy black vathor leans back, opening its fanged maw in a vicious scream that blossoms into a horrible spiral of flames pouring out of its mouth, right towards Seomanthe!
The massive vortex of flames strikes Seomanthe directly, searing her flesh in a whirlwind of utter destruction!
You swing a white laen broadsword at a huge shadowy black vathor!
Jeril rages across the battlefield, striking with unrelenting fury!
Your laen broadsword pulses with a soft white light as it cleaves a burning swath through the chaotic forces shrouding the shadowy black vathor!
You swing a white laen broadsword at a huge shadowy black vathor!
A huge shadowy black vathor struggles to rise but fails in the attempt.
Jeril swings a perfect vultite maul at a huge shadowy black vathor!
The shadowy black vathor rolls to one side and parries the attack with its axe!
Jeril swings a perfect vultite maul at a huge shadowy black vathor!
A huge shadowy black vathor struggles to rise but fails in the attempt.
The shadowy black vathor roars loudly as its right arm falls and writhes spasmodically, exploding in a ball of flames as it writhes on the ground, covering Seomanthe with blazing flames!
The air bends and shimmers, odd sounds popping and humming in the distance. Colors bleed away all around you and you feel a brief, but powerful sense of vertigo as your surroundings shift.
(Nooooo!)
[Wehnimer's, Stormarm St.]
This intersection links the bazaar routes with those bisecting and encircling the Landing. A few ruddyfaced sailors, loudmouthed dockworkers, and off-duty soldiers linger along the wall of a tavern, which is set back from the side of the road up a slight incline. A shaky wooden stairway, the bane of many an overimbiber's existence, leads up to the tavern door. You also see a slender shadowy voidwalker.
Galenblackbard skillfully weaves another verse into his harmony, directing the sound of his voice at a slender shadowy voidwalker.
You hear a sound like a weeping child as a white glow separates itself from the shadowy voidwalker's body as it rises, disappearing into the heavens.
The shadowy voidwalker shrieks in terror for an instant, then begins to rapidly dissipate!
The chase is on!
[Wehnimer's, Talon St.]
The street runs between the northern palisade and the central square to the south and east. The traffic is varied here, as a few traders and travelers mingle on the dark streets with the ever-present and watchful militiamen. The pristine walls of the Stone Baths occupy nearly the entire block. You also see a sharp steel sword, some dark pants, some heavy iron-studded gauntlets, some black steel-plated boots, a blued steel heavy breastplate, some thick blued steel leg greaves, a decaying Wehnimer's militiaman, a decaying Wehnimer's militiaman that appears dead, a huge shadowy black vathor that is lying down.
Jeril lets out a loud snarling growl and goes berserk!
You swing a white laen broadsword at a huge shadowy black vathor!
A huge shadowy black vathor's lets loose an unearthly howl as the raging inferno dies around it
The shadows of Lake Eonak begin to slowly dry up, visibly shrinking..
The shadows of Lake Eonak shrink further and further.......
Large group was challenging another Vathor during these events, it was tough to catch them and respond as they occurred.
The last of the shadows of Lake Eonak close up, returning the waters to normal, cutting off those who had traveled
beyond.
A huge shadowy black vathor cleaves a burning swath with its flaming axe at you!
It seems you have died, my friend. Although you cannot do anything, you are keenly aware of what is going on around you...
And this is where I left the adventure to recover.
These are the events that I saw first hand, I am certain there were others that I may have missed, and many more acts of bravery that were occurring all around town during the defense.
- This space is left blank intentionally. -
