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Against the Shadows VII - A Faded Glory Story Hour (Re-Updated - 5/17)
- Thread starter Old One
- Start date
Darklone said:
Hmmm ... if that's how you define his defeat by rats, his defeat by the twins, his defeat by the pit fighter ... hehehehehe
Actually he's the best distraction the rest of the group could ask for. Enemies see him going crazy in their midst, concentrate on him and the rest of us get some good shots in and tend to survive longer.
I have a blast watching John run Rose. He really cuts loose and lets the chaos of the moment lead the character. It's like crossing a hyperactive 8 year old with a badger on amphetamines, all action, all the time, and never a dull moment.
Something Old One didn't cover in the write-up mainly because it was just part of the travel description is that we had been tracked a bit by gnolls as we came north from Oar. We seemed to have lost them at one point (not through any effort on our part) and we had a couple days rest at the Two Headed Stag (or whatever that little fortified inn is called where Sextus had the bard duel with the Sar female. (They dueled again and he won by a whisker this time.)
When we started north again Quintus's familiar spotted several large groups of gnolls and wolves moving north rapidly running almost paralel to our course, but slightly ahead of us and slightly east and west.
Quintus went into squak form and was able to get a quick look that didn't show any familiar crimson colors in their clothing or banners.
At this point we were fairly certain the gnolls all over the region were getting together to lay siege to Glynden. Pretty scarey thought.
We pushed our horses a bit to try and get to the caravan and Greenspire all the sooner. When we reached the ridge just before Greenspire we tried to hide the horses and then crept closer before heading in to help defend the besieged caravan. The horses play a minor if slightly important role a bit later on.
When we started north again Quintus's familiar spotted several large groups of gnolls and wolves moving north rapidly running almost paralel to our course, but slightly ahead of us and slightly east and west.
Quintus went into squak form and was able to get a quick look that didn't show any familiar crimson colors in their clothing or banners.
At this point we were fairly certain the gnolls all over the region were getting together to lay siege to Glynden. Pretty scarey thought.
We pushed our horses a bit to try and get to the caravan and Greenspire all the sooner. When we reached the ridge just before Greenspire we tried to hide the horses and then crept closer before heading in to help defend the besieged caravan. The horses play a minor if slightly important role a bit later on.
DethStryke
Explorer
That would explain the shrieks and cursing I hear coming from his room some nights....
Let's just say that there are times that I'm glad I'm moving out.
As to John playing Rose... you have to realize that this is the same man that comes to the game with a brown paper grocery bag full of pixi sticks and similar substances (read: Caffinne and/or Sugar based). I have watched him drain pixi sticks, to the tune of 3 to 4 of them, into a fruit roll up and eat it whole. A couple of times. In a row. He says it is like "a sugar 8-ball".
He is very animated though, so everything he says and explains is like a huge play, where he is every character in it. Good times....
Let's just say that there are times that I'm glad I'm moving out.
As to John playing Rose... you have to realize that this is the same man that comes to the game with a brown paper grocery bag full of pixi sticks and similar substances (read: Caffinne and/or Sugar based). I have watched him drain pixi sticks, to the tune of 3 to 4 of them, into a fruit roll up and eat it whole. A couple of times. In a row. He says it is like "a sugar 8-ball".
He is very animated though, so everything he says and explains is like a huge play, where he is every character in it. Good times....
Session 22 (Part Three)
Greetings All!
Quick update this evening...thanks to Tortoise (Rowan) and Dethstryke for dropping in...more to follow soon!
The Charge
The initial smattering of gnoll arrows was little more than an annoyance. A few razor thin lines of blood appeared on various party appendages as missiles skipped off armor, but the companion’s advance was undeterred. Rowan snapped a few shots off, grunting in satisfaction each time a shaft sank home. Röse caught one unfortunate gnoll as it tried to shift firing positions; he left a red ruin in his wake. The Emorians advanced in close order, their locked scutums warding off every arrow. Sextus’s song of valor faltered a bit as an arrow opened a gash along his ribs, but he quickly redoubled his effort. Drusilla crept forward silently with gladius and pugio bared, and a mask of hatred on her otherwise beautiful face.
Quintus summoned a magical shield as they came into missile range and angled it downward to ward him from the gnoll archers. He calculated his pitiful flying speed against the rapid gnoll advance and cursed.
“By Osirian, I may be too late.”
He held his magic until his line of sight cleared a large ruined warehouse concealing a large part of the gnoll warband attacking the laager from the east. As he summoned forth the energy to send his deadly spell streaking towards the middle of the gnoll ranks, their lead elements hit the wagon wall. The roar of the sorcerer’s fireball momentarily drowned out the shrieks of dying humans, halflings and gnolls. Quintus grinned as he flapped over his handiwork on unsteady wings.
“Ah…perfect placement!”
All but the first two ranks of the gnoll column and a few rear rank stragglers had been caught up in the blast. Over a score of the dog-men lay still in charred piles, with another dozen yelping in pain and desperately pawing at burning fur. The rest of the party brushed past the weak screen of gnoll scouts and hit the shattered column broadside. Half-a-dozen wounded gnolls went down in a few grains to axe, hammer, gladius, spear and arrow.
Junior Tribune Metallus withdrew his bloody blade from a canine neck and stared at it for a long moment. When he looked up, his eyes were bright with fervor. He saw a knot of gnolls struggling with caravan guards to his left and leapt towards them, screaming at the top of his young lungs.
“For the glory of Emor!”
Bato cursed and sprinted after his foolish charge, spitting a yowling gnoll on his spear as he ran. Cragen, Röse, Sextus and Drusilla closed on the milling rearguard of the column, slaughtering many of the stunned gnolls and putting the rest to flight. Rowan worked his way around behind the fleeing creatures and shot them down as they ran past.
Another wagon flamed at the makeshift bulwark, but the defenders, assisted by the wild-eyed Junior Tribune and steady Optio, broke the vanguard of the gnoll attack and sent the survivors fleeing into the ruins. Quintus circled overhead and dropped several flasks of flaming oil on the retreating humanoids. Those on the ground paused to regroup and catch their breath. They had foiled the eastern thrust, but now arrows began to fall again from gnoll snipers and several found their mark. To the north, gnoll warhorns sounded and many yelping voices bayed in response.
Quintus felt the magic holding his altered form together weaking and alit atop the slate roof of a ruined townhouse. From his perch, he saw another knot of gnolls, larger than the first moving through the ruins toward his companions. He began plotting the strike point for his next fireball, waiting for more enemies to expose themselves. Rowan crouched behind a low stonewall, trading shafts with a trio of gnoll archers. Despite their numbers, the ranger’s skill proved to be too much; two fell and the third retreated.
Sextus looked towards the wagon laager and saw the Junior Tribune and Bato pulling wounded men and halflings away from a blazing wagon. Acrid smoke drifted from west to east, making both sight and breath difficult. Cragen and Röse, each a bit bruised and battered, grinned at each other and hefted their weapons. Quintus yelled from above, pointing to the northwest, “Here they come…get ready!”
As the elder Scipio turned and began calling on his inner power, his body froze. His sight, likewise frozen, was fixed on large gnoll warband advancing towards them. In the center were six splendid specimens, each heavily armed and armored. Beneath the eaves of the house the held sorcerer stood atop, a gnoll festooned with bird feathers, animal and humanoid skulls, and bearing a large spiked club grinned a feral grin. The gnoll shaman’s scarred paws dipped into his component bag as he stalked through the ruins, looking for more human victims.
To Be Continued…
Next: Barbarian’s Last Stand
Enjoy!
~ Old One
Greetings All!
Quick update this evening...thanks to Tortoise (Rowan) and Dethstryke for dropping in...more to follow soon!
The Charge
The initial smattering of gnoll arrows was little more than an annoyance. A few razor thin lines of blood appeared on various party appendages as missiles skipped off armor, but the companion’s advance was undeterred. Rowan snapped a few shots off, grunting in satisfaction each time a shaft sank home. Röse caught one unfortunate gnoll as it tried to shift firing positions; he left a red ruin in his wake. The Emorians advanced in close order, their locked scutums warding off every arrow. Sextus’s song of valor faltered a bit as an arrow opened a gash along his ribs, but he quickly redoubled his effort. Drusilla crept forward silently with gladius and pugio bared, and a mask of hatred on her otherwise beautiful face.
Quintus summoned a magical shield as they came into missile range and angled it downward to ward him from the gnoll archers. He calculated his pitiful flying speed against the rapid gnoll advance and cursed.
“By Osirian, I may be too late.”
He held his magic until his line of sight cleared a large ruined warehouse concealing a large part of the gnoll warband attacking the laager from the east. As he summoned forth the energy to send his deadly spell streaking towards the middle of the gnoll ranks, their lead elements hit the wagon wall. The roar of the sorcerer’s fireball momentarily drowned out the shrieks of dying humans, halflings and gnolls. Quintus grinned as he flapped over his handiwork on unsteady wings.
“Ah…perfect placement!”
All but the first two ranks of the gnoll column and a few rear rank stragglers had been caught up in the blast. Over a score of the dog-men lay still in charred piles, with another dozen yelping in pain and desperately pawing at burning fur. The rest of the party brushed past the weak screen of gnoll scouts and hit the shattered column broadside. Half-a-dozen wounded gnolls went down in a few grains to axe, hammer, gladius, spear and arrow.
Junior Tribune Metallus withdrew his bloody blade from a canine neck and stared at it for a long moment. When he looked up, his eyes were bright with fervor. He saw a knot of gnolls struggling with caravan guards to his left and leapt towards them, screaming at the top of his young lungs.
“For the glory of Emor!”
Bato cursed and sprinted after his foolish charge, spitting a yowling gnoll on his spear as he ran. Cragen, Röse, Sextus and Drusilla closed on the milling rearguard of the column, slaughtering many of the stunned gnolls and putting the rest to flight. Rowan worked his way around behind the fleeing creatures and shot them down as they ran past.
Another wagon flamed at the makeshift bulwark, but the defenders, assisted by the wild-eyed Junior Tribune and steady Optio, broke the vanguard of the gnoll attack and sent the survivors fleeing into the ruins. Quintus circled overhead and dropped several flasks of flaming oil on the retreating humanoids. Those on the ground paused to regroup and catch their breath. They had foiled the eastern thrust, but now arrows began to fall again from gnoll snipers and several found their mark. To the north, gnoll warhorns sounded and many yelping voices bayed in response.
Quintus felt the magic holding his altered form together weaking and alit atop the slate roof of a ruined townhouse. From his perch, he saw another knot of gnolls, larger than the first moving through the ruins toward his companions. He began plotting the strike point for his next fireball, waiting for more enemies to expose themselves. Rowan crouched behind a low stonewall, trading shafts with a trio of gnoll archers. Despite their numbers, the ranger’s skill proved to be too much; two fell and the third retreated.
Sextus looked towards the wagon laager and saw the Junior Tribune and Bato pulling wounded men and halflings away from a blazing wagon. Acrid smoke drifted from west to east, making both sight and breath difficult. Cragen and Röse, each a bit bruised and battered, grinned at each other and hefted their weapons. Quintus yelled from above, pointing to the northwest, “Here they come…get ready!”
As the elder Scipio turned and began calling on his inner power, his body froze. His sight, likewise frozen, was fixed on large gnoll warband advancing towards them. In the center were six splendid specimens, each heavily armed and armored. Beneath the eaves of the house the held sorcerer stood atop, a gnoll festooned with bird feathers, animal and humanoid skulls, and bearing a large spiked club grinned a feral grin. The gnoll shaman’s scarred paws dipped into his component bag as he stalked through the ruins, looking for more human victims.
To Be Continued…
Next: Barbarian’s Last Stand
Enjoy
!~ Old One
Last edited:
Most excellent cliffhanger.
In answer to the "How I'm doin'" question: I'm teaching, it's early in the semester, and this will be a hard slog, but I love it. Kids and wife are healthy and well. I'm actually trying to write up my own group's adventures as a story hour (we play rather infrequently, so it's mainly an aid to memory), but I'm not sure I'll post them for public consumption. I read some of the story hours here and realize that I and my players are rank amateurs where D&D tactics are concerned.
Speaking of tactics, I can't wait to see how they get out of this one...
In answer to the "How I'm doin'" question: I'm teaching, it's early in the semester, and this will be a hard slog, but I love it. Kids and wife are healthy and well. I'm actually trying to write up my own group's adventures as a story hour (we play rather infrequently, so it's mainly an aid to memory), but I'm not sure I'll post them for public consumption. I read some of the story hours here and realize that I and my players are rank amateurs where D&D tactics are concerned.
Speaking of tactics, I can't wait to see how they get out of this one...
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