The Hanged Man Inn is notorious for attracting adventurers from all over the world, and many a tale told starts with an anxious employer entering the rowdy common room of that establishment. The best known inn in town it has not one but two "authentic Old Vic skins" decorating its walls.
The Hanged Man Inn contains a portal to the Drowned Man, a tavern on Bacarte. It functions much the same way save that the Hanged Man charges significantly more for the three drinks required to get through the portal reliably.
It is common practice for those that visit the Hanged Man to introduce themselves, even if it is not their true name. The bouncers like to know the name of who they may have to rough up later.
OOC: This is the new tavern thread. Feel free to interact here while not on adventure.
Ah, now that is an experience, rubbing shoulders with the Gods, smiting, and so forth... Veruzak exclaims to Montroya, turning his head again to Matlal, I've done nothing as great as all that! Most of my markings come from arcane contests as a youth, who can blow up the most this, who can scorch the most that, the hood is flipped back from Veruzak's face, revealing lines of arcane writing, The markings on my face show that I'm of the Ver tribe, Veruza is my mother, and that I'm trained in war casting. It's a technique our tribe has passed down over the generations. Has to do with spreading the flow of shadow out. The Eladrin smiles, thinking of the Shadowlands, Growing up in the Shadowlands will have an effect on ones shadow, they say that if a being garners enough power, their shadow will walk of it's own volition. Mine just hides from the light, and tries to escape occasionally, it just can't leech enough power off me to detach. I'll have to be careful later in life not to lose him though.
The hood flips back up as Veruzak finishes his story. He continues to face Montroya, and thinks, *I don't trust anyone who has been around the Gods, the fickle... Mireva hiding... enlightened... * his train of thought bounces forth and back again, Do the shadows not writhe in the Valley?
The large human, heavily armored and armed, sits on his stool at the bar, quietly drinking his mug of ale, and ignoring at the moment the chit chat of the crew.
__________________ Living ENWorld di Senzio's Magical Shop, the best place to buy and sell magical items in Orussus
Ah, now that is an experience, rubbing shoulders with the Gods, smiting, and so forth... Veruzak exclaims to Montroya, turning his head again to Matlal, I've done nothing as great as all that! Most of my markings come from arcane contests as a youth, who can blow up the most this, who can scorch the most that, the hood is flipped back from Veruzak's face, revealing lines of arcane writing, The markings on my face show that I'm of the Ver tribe, Veruza is my mother, and that I'm trained in war casting. It's a technique our tribe has passed down over the generations. Has to do with spreading the flow of shadow out. The Eladrin smiles, thinking of the Shadowlands, Growing up in the Shadowlands will have an effect on ones shadow, they say that if a being garners enough power, their shadow will walk of it's own volition. Mine just hides from the light, and tries to escape occasionally, it just can't leech enough power off me to detach. I'll have to be careful later in life not to lose him though.
The hood flips back up as Veruzak finishes his story. He continues to face Montroya, and thinks, *I don't trust anyone who has been around the Gods, the fickle... Mireva hiding... enlightened... * his train of thought bounces forth and back again, Do the shadows not writhe in the Valley?
Matlal nods curtly, digesting the information. "Only da spellcastas in I's tribe take on tattoos. Dey represen' spiritual an' magical battles, martial fights are jus' remembered wit' scars." He seems rather intrigued by the idea of one's shadow running off, grinning as he thought it over in his head (even if it'd be a rather unfortunate occurance), "Wha's da consequences if ja shadow does get away? Also, ta answa ja question, only da priests a' Tezcatlipoca, da Smoking Mirror, have dat talent as far as I know. Dere shadows start ta smolder and smoke like incense during dere rituals."
ooc
Tezcatlipoca has been listed as equivalent to Vulkar, who hasn't even got a proper description yet, but his epithets of Titlacauan ("We are his Slaves"), Ipalnemoani ("He by whom we live"), Necoc Yaotl ("Enemy of Both Sides"), Tloque Nahuaque ("Lord of the Near and the Nigh") and Yohualli Čecatl ("Night, Wind"), Ome acatl ("Two Reed"), Ilhuicahua Tlalticpaque ("Possessor of the Sky and Earth") is too perfect for an esoteric mystery cult. As the representation of "change through strife" I'm seeing him as very similar to Hindu Shaivite (Shiva-worshipping) traditions.
Associations:night sky, the night winds, hurricanes, the north, the earth, obsidian, enmity, discord, rulership, divination, temptation, jaguars, sorcery, beauty, war and strife
I filled in the Aztec/Mayan gods table, pretty much by grabbing the most appropriate/interesting god I could find for each. If you want to change them, feel free.
I think Vulkar (aka Vulcan, god of smiths and artificers) is good for a mystery cult. That's the same type of thing the Freemasons came from.
I filled in the Aztec/Mayan gods table, pretty much by grabbing the most appropriate/interesting god I could find for each. If you want to change them, feel free.
I think Vulkar (aka Vulcan, god of smiths and artificers) is good for a mystery cult. That's the same type of thing the Freemasons came from.
ooc
Nah, I think smiths/artificers is a pretty good one. Tezcatlipoca doesn't have many fire associations directly, but the forge is a good representation of "destruction as the germ of creation". He puts things through strife (the forge) to initiate change (a hunk of steel turning into a sword).
I have a good idea regarding the "Enemy of Both Sides" epithet (my favorite one). Tezcatlipoca is the hammer and the anvil, hence putting one between "a rock and a hard place" so as to speak, but in the end it results in an evolution of form.
The one thing I'm not sure about the Valley of Bone gods is that they use the Aztec names directly, instead of being slight variations like the Greek-based ones. But (a) I wanted people to be able to Google them and find out more, since the pantheon isn't nearly as well-known, and (b) I'm not very creative.
Ah, now that is an experience, rubbing shoulders with the Gods, smiting, and so forth... Veruzak exclaims to Montroya,
"Yes," the deva says appraising the wizards tatoos, "I just wish I remember more of it. That way my past mistakes don't repeat themselves."
Quote:
they say that if a being garners enough power, their shadow will walk of it's own volition. Mine just hides from the light, and tries to escape occasionally, it just can't leech enough power off me to detach. I'll have to be careful later in life not to lose him though.
"What of the Gods then? They have enough power. Do their own shadows have sway over this world? I would think not, at least not their shadow in a literal sense. If the shadow has a fraction of power of it's owner, you could call the Servants of the Gods the pieces of it's shadow. And that begs the question of if a shadow is seperated from it's owner, and the owner falls, does the shadow fall as well?"
matlal nods curtly, digesting the information. "only da spellcastas in i's tribe take on tattoos. Dey represen' spiritual an' magical battles, martial fights are jus' remembered wit' scars." he seems rather intrigued by the idea of one's shadow running off, grinning as he thought it over in his head (even if it'd be a rather unfortunate occurance), "wha's da consequences if ja shadow does get away? Also, ta answa ja question, only da priests a' tezcatlipoca, da smoking mirror, have dat talent as far as i know. Dere shadows start ta smolder and smoke like incense during dere rituals."
Everyone in the Shadowlands takes body modification very seriously, well almost everyone... The wizard smiles at the mention of priests and smoking mirors, Smoke and mirrors is my business, no small wonder then that they cause the shadow to react.
The wizard stops politely, leaving a gap of silence for the Deva to step into the conversation again.
Quote:
Originally Posted by evolutionkb
"yes," the deva says appraising the wizards tatoos, "i just wish i remember more of it. That way my past mistakes don't repeat themselves."
"what of the gods then? They have enough power. Do their own shadows have sway over this world? I would think not, at least not their shadow in a literal sense. If the shadow has a fraction of power of it's owner, you could call the servants of the gods the pieces of it's shadow. And that begs the question of if a shadow is seperated from it's owner, and the owner falls, does the shadow fall as well?"
Ha ha, yes, memory is an elusive bugger, maybe I'll look into a memory restoration ritual... Most of them have to do with getting rid of a memory, which people will pay handsomely for mind you, that's why alcohol is so popular... Sipping the beer in front of him, Veruzak continues, Yes, the Gods have enough power, and I'm sure that some of their shadows have attempted an escape. Of those shadows that are successful, some get trapped, creating Dread Domains, eerie places in the Shadowlands with no exit. Others simply hide like cowards, the rest of their inky existence. Setting the beer down, and glancing back toward Matlal, Once your shadow escapes, it's imperative that it be hunt down, and reattached. Needle and thread will work, if it is given even the most minor of enchantments. Shadows, like names, or personal objects, carry power. Rituals can exploit that power. Veruzak busts out with a loud chuckle, There are some sheep on the Isle of O, oh you have to see it someday, no shadow, no name, no soul... They all used to be Warlocks, until they made a grievous mistake in trusting some upstart... The point of the story is, don't lose personal objects, don't give out the name that truly defines you, and don't lose your shadow. The laws on Magic are still catching up to what we are capable of, it's hard to charge someone with murder, when the corpse is still up walking and talking, if you know what I mean. Veruzak pauses, and resumes as if the unpleasant conversation never happened, Sometimes it's great when your shadow gets away though! Like when they come back, and want to be your friend. I've seen shadows walk alongside their owner, free as can be. They gods may have such a luxury.
Oh, almost forgot, if you die, your shadow dies. It's much like a parasite. Without great amounts of power, most shadows couldn't get more than fifty feet away, even after detaching. Doesn't make 'em an easier to catch. Papa used to let us chase his...
Eladrin orbs glaze over in reflection,
As the doors to the Hanged Man open a Tall, muscular shifter walks in with dark brown skin and long brown hair. Wearing hide armor that looks weathered and as if it had seen more then a little action and a pair of long swords at his hips he looks as if he would be ready at a moments notice. Taking a moment he shifts the empty quiver on his back next to his short bow as he takes in the room.
With a quick glance around the room he smiles and speaks up in a gruff voice "I'm Tor" he says in a simple and straight foreward manner. Moving deeper into the establishment he looks around trying to keep an eye out for anything interesting.
Before the door could close behind Tor, a hand snaked in from outside and opened it back up. A razorclaw shifter strolled in, a small grin on his face.
He wore hide clothing that left his lower legs and arms free. Tied to his right bicep were several red feathers, obviously old and cared for. He carried no visible weapons, and had only a small pouch on his rawhide belt and a tattered satchel on his shoulder for possessions. His skin was the deep brown of varnished mahogany, and one of his canines was chipped.
"And I'm Mesa." Making his way to the bar, he sat in the first empty seat available and curled his toes over the lower brace. He sighed at the relief from a long day's walk to get here. That done, he glanced around the tavern with obvious interest. It seemed as though he'd never been in a tavern before. In point of fact, he hadn't.
Waving for a drink, he cocked his head to listen to the apparently engrossing conversation occurring right next to him.
Shaggy creatures entering the bar shakes Veruzak from his reverie. Cheers! Seeing the bartender busy with other patrons, the ashen robed wizard reaches over the bar, snatching another cup and pouring from draft. The mug slides down the bar, making a perfect stop in front of Mesa, I'm Veruzak. No obvious weaponry, Eladrin fingers trace the air, and Veruzak stumbles a little, oh, I've been drinking a bit much then, eh... taking a short glance at the bar, Veruzak notices his four empty glasses. Hmm...*I don't remember when I drank last...* Anyway, it's nice to meet you. Do you know that guy, indicating the Shifter that moved further into the room. Or did you two just start a great joke?
OOC Velmont
Velmont, was Trevor interested in chat? He came off as slightly unapproachable, I was just making sure Veruzak didn't ignore someone who wanted to be noticed!
Last edited by CaBaNa; 10th July 2009 at 11:39 PM..
Hey there, I am starting a new adventure where street crimes meet zombies.
No, there is no NPC bumbling into the tavern to offer a job, hence the fact that this is OOC.
This adventure will start as several (mostly) unrelated PCs are going about their business in Fisherman's alley, a market in the Commons, when suddenly something will go horribly wrong. Something to do with crooks and zombies, presumably.
Unless they have prior IC acquaintances from a previous adventure, the PCs have not yet met and will not be grouped together on the first map. It will be immediately obvious to them, though, who is a civilian and who is actually fighting back.
Why are they in Fisherman' alley? Maybe to purchase the finest sea food in the city, maybe relaxing at a nearby cafe, maybe inside their cheap (because of the smell) flat in one the neighbouring tenements, maybe just walking through. Etc.
Let’s make something clear; there is no employer and therefore no initial promise of reward. Of course, from a metaplaying perspective, you can be damn sure that there will be treasures somewhere down the line, otherwise the judges would skin me ! But from a roleplaying perspective there is at first no promise of reward whatsoever and no serious reasons for the PCs to expect it. At first the PCs interpose themselves to protect the civilians and then the adventure requires that the PCs decide to go to the bottom of the problem for their own reasons.
This is a natural fit for good aligned characters. This is what comes naturally to them, no need to twist their arms. Other characters will need to work out for themselves (and with my help if you need it) why their PCs choose to involve themselves. Mind you, I am not trying to discriminate here; I see no reason why even an evil PC wouldn’t find enough motivation to embark on this adventure. It just takes more creativity to find it.
The adventure should take about three months and grant up to 860 XP with successful quest XP along with 8 or 9 parcel of treasures. This is an estimation, of course. Time XP is very tricky to predict.
The adventure has room for up to 6 PC.
Priority will be given to new players who have never been on an adventure and then it’s first come first served.
Mesa took a long pull from the mug. Not bad, he thought. It wasn't like the drinks he was used to back with his family; their drinks had more bite and less flavor than this one did. "Nah, I've never met the fella before; we're both of shifter blood, but he's got the look of a wolf to my eye. Not cat like me and mine are. And if we're to be a joke, where's the punchline?"
He grinned at Veruzak. "But I appreciate the beer, boyo. I just got into the city proper today, and truth be told I'm a bit out of sorts. Have ye been here for long? In Daunton, I mean. Ye don't exactly look like a local. What brought ye here?"
OOC
Hmmm, I wouldn't mind that zombie adventure myself. I'm still learning the druid, but with an invoker backing me up, I should be ok if I'm not the controller I should be right from the start. Plus, I have some leader synergy to help with healing if things get dicey.
Of course, I'm still not approved, but from what I understand that's not a problem if you're ok with that.
Like I've said, I'm definitely up for it. I'm not approved yet, but I'm halfway there. Matlal has some defender-ish leanings, even if he is a striker.
When do I need to get Matlal out of the inn and into the alley?
Matlal observes the newcomers to the bar as the ever talkative Veruzak begins conversing with them. He opts to merely respond to the wizard's conversation, however. "Ja mon, lotsa bad juju out dere. Gotta be careful, careful, les' ja get turned inta a sheep." He seems to go into his mantra again, "Slowly, slowly." He nods, as if that satisfactorily sums up the situation.
He turns to the bartender, and after fumbling over a few orders that weren't available or understood he finally manages to secure a tall mug of some spicy smelling spirits. With a satisfied nod he tips the drink to his mouth. Perhaps the drink is getting to his head, but he's feeling somewhat restless in the inn.
1 Montroya (EvolutionKB) Deva Invoker 1
2 Matlal Atzintli (Ecce) Human Barbarian 1
3 Tor (powerofbaka), longtooth shifter ranger
4 Mesa (Stringbean2142) Razorclaw Shifter Druid (Unaligned)
5
6
No, I don't mind that 3 of these PCs aren't approved yet. Truth to be told, that adventure wasn't fully approved when I first posted either (it was missing one approval)! Now it's legit.
Now it would be cool to have and a leader join the fray but I can live with an unblanced party. You'll just have to play to your strenghts and try to mask your weaknesses. Considering the party is formed through dumbluck in the story, it would be rather fitting that it be unbalanced.
I note that everyone but Montroya is unaligned. I remind you that the initial hook is basically a terror zombie attack not directed against the PCs themselve and then the follow up requires that the PCs decide to get to the bottom of what's happening without initial IC promise of reward.
Now, being unaligned doesn't automatically means selfish, but it sometime does. Any of you foresee a roleplay problem in justifying their PCs spontaneous involvement that might need ironing out? Think it through but don't post here (Let's not clutter the tavern with OOC, we'll sort it out early in the new adventure thread I will start soon.
Last edited by Mal Malenkirk; 11th July 2009 at 07:16 AM..
I note that everyone but Montroya is unaligned. I remind you that the initial hook is basically a terror zombie attack not directed against the PCs themselve and then the follow up requires that the PCs decide to get to the bottom of what's happening without initial IC promise of reward.
Now, being unaligned doesn't automatically means selfish, but it sometime does. Any of you foresee a roleplay problem in justifying their PCs spontaneous involvement that might need ironing out? Think it through but don't post here (Let's not clutter the tavern with OOC, we'll sort it out early in the new adventure thread I will start soon.
Zombies and Crooks
Well, the only thing that'd I'd really have to figure out is -why- Matlal is there. Once the pandemonium starts it's rather natural by Matlal's personality to join into the fray. Additionally, although he isn't "good", Matlal has a philosophy of protecting innocents who don't involve themselves in conflict. He essentially places people into two classes, "fair game" or "off limits".
After debating with Veruzak, Montroya sits back and pulls some charcoal and a sheet of paper from his pack. He artfully began sketching the bar and it's inhabitants, pausing when the two shifter's came in. The deva continues his drawing but stops when Matlal has trouble ordering some food. Grimacing at the pork in front of him, he stand and approaches the foreigner.
"I noticed that you tried to order some fish there? I think they have some down at the docks. I'm not in the mood for pork anymore, and I'm still hungry." The deva shrugs uncomfortably. "I'm not a fish eater myself, but if you want to join me down there, we can walk together until I find something else."
! But from a roleplaying perspective there is at first no promise of reward whatsoever and no serious reasons for the PCs to expect it. At first the PCs interpose themselves to protect the civilians and then the adventure requires that the PCs decide to go to the bottom of the problem for their own reasons.
And am really looking forward to getting him into some action
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