Gaming w/Jemal: Past Tense (4E) OOC

Graf said:

Ow. I did notice the 1500 was "higher than techinically allowed".

OK. No rituals. Most of it was just selected for RP fun and/or to make things easier on the group (phantom steed, etc). We're walking everywhere boys.

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Walking Dad said:

And welcome new players!

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• The group begins formed by Sylas and Gerald the Grey after Sylas has a series of horrific visions about the lich.

• Sylas' visions lead the group to the town of Ravenhold right before it is attacked by undead. They manage to rally the town and hold off the attackers until a military force lead by Ruthaer ar'Thar. The battle is a smashing success but ar'Thar's decision to push ahead and fight at night (correctly realizing the town can't wait for re-enforcements later that day) costs him half of his men.
  The undead are confirmed to have been sent by the lich.
• They meet Lady Keira while the paladin is escorting a disguised Princess Saundra to meet her love; uncovering her identity by accident the group nevertheless acquits itself well, helping the paladin to fend of a group of doppleganger kidnappers.
• Ruthaer ar'Thar, assigned a post "unworthy of his abilities" after his victory at Ravenhold, leaves the service and joins the adventuring company.

• Plagued by visions of an alliance between the reality-warping unseen lord and the lich Sylas begins to investigate the tragedy at Strongfast. The group travels to the ruins of Strongfast, discovering the last surviving Thronble, Verity living in the ruins like a wild animal. The traitor's delusional rantings (he has some sort of strange connection to the unseen lord), guides the group to a group of undead who are transporting a powerful artifact once possessed by the lord. The group ambushed the caravan, destroying the undead in a vicious battle.
  The sudden appearance of Ripper is a decisive moment. The bugbear had been following the group and decided that it wished to join this group of "powerful raiders".
  
  Gerald championed the bugbears continued association with the group arguing that they could have a positive impact. The cunning bugbear adapted relatively quickly to the "civilized" life of an adventurer.​
  Verity was apparently "punished" by the unseen lord for his participation by being cut off from the god-thing, which inadvertently restored his sanity. The broken lordling leaves to join an monastery.
• Boy, a death cultist, connected to a group that ultimately serves the lich, attempts to assassinate Gerold, but is foiled by Ripper.
• Boy is rehabilitated over the following months and joins the group remaining a loyal member until he perishes in the battle with the lich. (hey! I liked the character...)
• The group provides extra security during the wedding of Princess Saundra at the request of Lady Keira. While no overt conflict occurs an apparently drunken fey guest's magic transports the group to an isolated and barren part of the feywild where the group meets Illian and helps free him from the curse that prevented him from returning to the mortal world.
  
  Illian is coy about the lute that he carries. Merely suggesting it is "important". (right?)​

• Verity, exiled from his monastery once his true identity is revealed and plagued by the feeling that he unseen lord is doing something contacts the group. With Sylas' help the wizard successfully interprets the visions and a stratagem of the lord's is apparently foiled.
  The group grudgingly allows the penitent wizard to join; "At least this way we can keep an eye on the shifty bastard." He proves to be a staunch member.
• At odds with the King Lady Keira leaves the Royal Guards and joins the group.
• Ash joins the group prior to the battle with the lich as part of her quest for atonement.

• Sylas is destroyed by the lich's immense power. Apparently obliterated before the groups eyes. However his presence during the final battle assured the lich would appear (its anger with the troublesome warlock overcoming its usually keen tactical decision making), and be destroyed. Or so we thought...
• Gerold and Boy died fighting a rear guard action on the stairway down to the crypt; holding off the waves of undead the lich summoned from the surrounding area as reinforcements during the battle. This desperate holding and ultimately fatal sacrifice, bought time for the rest of the group to defeat their nemesis and find and destroy it's phylactery. .

Graf said:

Illian is coy about the lute that he carries. Merely suggesting it is "important". (right?)​

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Graf said:

We also have (at least) three dead members who perished in the fight with the lich: Gerold the Grey (paladin), Boy and Sylas. [Makes it feel like it was an epic fight, and the people who survived were fortunate, no?]

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