Crossed Paths (Full)
Manzanita
First Post
OK. Here's some background I've written up of the party's exploits. Feel free to ask question, newcomers. Current players, please add comments.
The story so far.
The original party meets at an Inn in Sulina on the Bulgarian coast of the Black Sea. These were Brioc the Britain Druid, Ehldannis the elven wizard, Octar the Roman Soldier, Khenemetsobek the Egyptian priest, Nathaniel the Hebrew Bard, Ecgthow the Viking warrior, and Glaucon the Bulgarian pirate. With Brioc were his wolf and his servent, Mendicus. They had been called together by their mentors to help Brioc on his quest.
After some discussion, the group caught a ride on a merchant ship to Sevastopol on the Crimean Peninsula. There, they planned to head on into the interior, which proved to be largely uncharted wilderness. In Sevastopol, they found a town under siege, attacked by a mysterious power that killed whenever the mist rolled in.
The party agreed to help the town, and after a fight or two, took the advice of a dwarven merchant guard, Dhormium, who suggested they visit his nearby dwarven community of The Hold. Here the dwarves gave them advice that allowed them to penetrate into the heart of the Wendol, kill their queen, and disperse their community, ending the threat to Sevastopol.
During their stay in Sevastopol, Glaucon, Khenemetsobek and Ecgthow contracted a malaria-like illness and were confined to their beds. In their place, the party found assistance in Dhormium and one Marcus Romeri, a gypsy who had befriended Octar on their trip to Sulina.
Upon their return from defeating the Wendol, Khenemetsobek and Glaucon had died of the fever. Ecgthow had risen, delirious, and headed out into the wilderness in pursuit of his friends, never to have been heard from since.
The story so far.
The original party meets at an Inn in Sulina on the Bulgarian coast of the Black Sea. These were Brioc the Britain Druid, Ehldannis the elven wizard, Octar the Roman Soldier, Khenemetsobek the Egyptian priest, Nathaniel the Hebrew Bard, Ecgthow the Viking warrior, and Glaucon the Bulgarian pirate. With Brioc were his wolf and his servent, Mendicus. They had been called together by their mentors to help Brioc on his quest.
After some discussion, the group caught a ride on a merchant ship to Sevastopol on the Crimean Peninsula. There, they planned to head on into the interior, which proved to be largely uncharted wilderness. In Sevastopol, they found a town under siege, attacked by a mysterious power that killed whenever the mist rolled in.
The party agreed to help the town, and after a fight or two, took the advice of a dwarven merchant guard, Dhormium, who suggested they visit his nearby dwarven community of The Hold. Here the dwarves gave them advice that allowed them to penetrate into the heart of the Wendol, kill their queen, and disperse their community, ending the threat to Sevastopol.
During their stay in Sevastopol, Glaucon, Khenemetsobek and Ecgthow contracted a malaria-like illness and were confined to their beds. In their place, the party found assistance in Dhormium and one Marcus Romeri, a gypsy who had befriended Octar on their trip to Sulina.
Upon their return from defeating the Wendol, Khenemetsobek and Glaucon had died of the fever. Ecgthow had risen, delirious, and headed out into the wilderness in pursuit of his friends, never to have been heard from since.
Manzanita
First Post
Background part II
A few days out of Sevastopol to the North, the group made camp and tethered their horses. A strange man dressed in roman gear stumbled out of the night requesting aid, telling how his archeological dig had been set upon by orcs and he had narrowly escaped with his life.
As the group talked, orcs snuck up and attacked. The party was able to drive them off, but not before Sergius, the treacherous archeologist, had killed Nathaniel. In the battle, his strangely glowing spear was severed, and its red-hot tip taken by the party. At times it has stopped glowing and cooled to the appearance of normal metal. The party has not investigated this phenomenon much, and are unaware of what causes it to sometimes stop glowing. Octar currently carries it in a jury-rigged pot of Mendicus’.
The group then found the site of the buried city indicated on Brioc’s map. Just before then, they rescued another Roman from two gnolls. He stated his name was Tullius and was the security chief for the archeological expedition headed by Sergius. Sergius evidently discovered the spear in the caverns, then had his orc allies slaughter the rest of the group. Sergius himself seems to of orcish heritage.
Tullius retained hope that the other expedition leader was alive, as he claims to have seen him dragged underground by the gnolls who subsequently showed up and slaughtered the orcs. Taking weapons found on slain orc and gnolls, Tullius accompanied the party underground.
The party discovered a mazelike series of caverns inhabited by gnolls and lizardmen and undead. One lizardman, G’ruk, formed an uneasy alliance with the party after having been defeated handily in combat. G’ruk indicated he was willing to betray his King, a minotaur residing deeper in the complex, if the party would aid him in discovering artifacts left by the Saurons, an ancient race of intelligent lizardmen who were defeated thousands of years earlier by the Melnibolean Elves.
G’ruk led the party deep into the caverns, revealing that he had met Sergius there and showing them approximately where Sergius had found the spear. At that point a water elemental erupted from the river and apparently killed the lizardman leader, although his body was not found.
The party also encountered humans, belonging to the cult of Coeus, a Titan long though dead by the world. The seem to have largely destroyed this cult, and discovered the human village of Thracia nearby. This village is a delapadated homlet, on the edge of destruction. It could benefit from the safety of an empire such as Rome.
Returning the caverns, the party struck a second deal with a Gynosphinx. She claimed to know the location of the tomb of Menaleus, a Greek general, and asked the party to retrieve a magic book from this tomb, in exchange for knowledge of its location. She allowed them to descend further into the complex, but took the rope after lowering them, leaving them apparently at her mercy as to their escape. In this new area, Ehlannis located a powerful magic source, but has been unable to find a door leading there. The party is currently hunting for a route to this location.
A few days out of Sevastopol to the North, the group made camp and tethered their horses. A strange man dressed in roman gear stumbled out of the night requesting aid, telling how his archeological dig had been set upon by orcs and he had narrowly escaped with his life.
As the group talked, orcs snuck up and attacked. The party was able to drive them off, but not before Sergius, the treacherous archeologist, had killed Nathaniel. In the battle, his strangely glowing spear was severed, and its red-hot tip taken by the party. At times it has stopped glowing and cooled to the appearance of normal metal. The party has not investigated this phenomenon much, and are unaware of what causes it to sometimes stop glowing. Octar currently carries it in a jury-rigged pot of Mendicus’.
The group then found the site of the buried city indicated on Brioc’s map. Just before then, they rescued another Roman from two gnolls. He stated his name was Tullius and was the security chief for the archeological expedition headed by Sergius. Sergius evidently discovered the spear in the caverns, then had his orc allies slaughter the rest of the group. Sergius himself seems to of orcish heritage.
Tullius retained hope that the other expedition leader was alive, as he claims to have seen him dragged underground by the gnolls who subsequently showed up and slaughtered the orcs. Taking weapons found on slain orc and gnolls, Tullius accompanied the party underground.
The party discovered a mazelike series of caverns inhabited by gnolls and lizardmen and undead. One lizardman, G’ruk, formed an uneasy alliance with the party after having been defeated handily in combat. G’ruk indicated he was willing to betray his King, a minotaur residing deeper in the complex, if the party would aid him in discovering artifacts left by the Saurons, an ancient race of intelligent lizardmen who were defeated thousands of years earlier by the Melnibolean Elves.
G’ruk led the party deep into the caverns, revealing that he had met Sergius there and showing them approximately where Sergius had found the spear. At that point a water elemental erupted from the river and apparently killed the lizardman leader, although his body was not found.
The party also encountered humans, belonging to the cult of Coeus, a Titan long though dead by the world. The seem to have largely destroyed this cult, and discovered the human village of Thracia nearby. This village is a delapadated homlet, on the edge of destruction. It could benefit from the safety of an empire such as Rome.
Returning the caverns, the party struck a second deal with a Gynosphinx. She claimed to know the location of the tomb of Menaleus, a Greek general, and asked the party to retrieve a magic book from this tomb, in exchange for knowledge of its location. She allowed them to descend further into the complex, but took the rope after lowering them, leaving them apparently at her mercy as to their escape. In this new area, Ehlannis located a powerful magic source, but has been unable to find a door leading there. The party is currently hunting for a route to this location.
doghead
thotd
A little more from the Tales of Marcus ...
Manzanita forgot to mention the Manticore he threw at us on the way the Dhormium's Hold. Marcus, if I remember correctly, spent most of it cowering something and taking pot shots with his crossbow at the beast. Not the greatest beginning.
The fact that Marcus had known Octar before the adventure started ment that Octar, when Marcus caught up with the party, was the first person he greeted and only one Marcus knew initially. That kind of gave their friendship a head start.
In the battle with the Wendol witch-queen the friendship between Marcus and Octar was severely strained. It seemed to have survived the test, but without TH to confirm, perhaps you should dig that up for a look if you have time, DarkMaster. I would also recommend reading the part after the party returned, heros to the people. I seriously wondered if TH was planning to have Octar walk. Very nice work.
As for Tullius, the time that springs first to mind was when he shot an arrow at the stone gargoyles above the door to see if they were alive. Marus was not impressed and they had words. That happened fairly recently ini the current ic thread I think.
That was around the time when Dhormium dropped a few jaws with his blasting of the undead. I don't think that many in the party were particularly religious (Brioc the obvious exception) before that. Most of the characters seemed to play that scene like they hadn't really believed clerics could do that. Marcus probably didn't. Does now.
Manzanita forgot to mention the Manticore he threw at us on the way the Dhormium's Hold. Marcus, if I remember correctly, spent most of it cowering something and taking pot shots with his crossbow at the beast. Not the greatest beginning.
The fact that Marcus had known Octar before the adventure started ment that Octar, when Marcus caught up with the party, was the first person he greeted and only one Marcus knew initially. That kind of gave their friendship a head start.
In the battle with the Wendol witch-queen the friendship between Marcus and Octar was severely strained. It seemed to have survived the test, but without TH to confirm, perhaps you should dig that up for a look if you have time, DarkMaster. I would also recommend reading the part after the party returned, heros to the people. I seriously wondered if TH was planning to have Octar walk. Very nice work.
As for Tullius, the time that springs first to mind was when he shot an arrow at the stone gargoyles above the door to see if they were alive. Marus was not impressed and they had words. That happened fairly recently ini the current ic thread I think.
That was around the time when Dhormium dropped a few jaws with his blasting of the undead. I don't think that many in the party were particularly religious (Brioc the obvious exception) before that. Most of the characters seemed to play that scene like they hadn't really believed clerics could do that. Marcus probably didn't. Does now.
DarkMaster
First Post
Manzanita,
could you put a link to the IC thread. That would greatly help.
could you put a link to the IC thread. That would greatly help.
Manzanita
First Post
Thanks Zombie. Check my sig for links. I don't expect you to read all the past IC threads.
As you ponder your PC and his motivations, do bear in mind that the party has been together for some time. A certain loyalty has developed between Marcus, Octar, Ehldannis, and Brioc. Also with Dhormium and Tullius, though to a lesser extent.
At this point we've got the following:
Brioc: Zombie has recieved background and prior CS. I'm still waiting on his revised version.
Octar: Darkmaster mostly finished his background and motivations and CS. Final version not recieved though.
Tullius: Velmont developing background, stats and motivations. Several drafts written and discussed.
Dhormium: background and prior CS sent to Barak. Awaiting response
Wilphe: Discussing new PC. Final decision pending.
Hopefully we'll start soon. I'll put in another general background post here. Feel free to discuss the party's situation here so you'll hit the ground ready to roll.
As for languages, there are the standard racial ones. 'Common' would generally by Latin. Most characters would speak that, though not necessarily Dhormium. Other human languages would include Greek, Germanic, Slavic and Egyptian. For simplicity's sake, these would all you would need.
As you ponder your PC and his motivations, do bear in mind that the party has been together for some time. A certain loyalty has developed between Marcus, Octar, Ehldannis, and Brioc. Also with Dhormium and Tullius, though to a lesser extent.
At this point we've got the following:
Brioc: Zombie has recieved background and prior CS. I'm still waiting on his revised version.
Octar: Darkmaster mostly finished his background and motivations and CS. Final version not recieved though.
Tullius: Velmont developing background, stats and motivations. Several drafts written and discussed.
Dhormium: background and prior CS sent to Barak. Awaiting response
Wilphe: Discussing new PC. Final decision pending.
Hopefully we'll start soon. I'll put in another general background post here. Feel free to discuss the party's situation here so you'll hit the ground ready to roll.
As for languages, there are the standard racial ones. 'Common' would generally by Latin. Most characters would speak that, though not necessarily Dhormium. Other human languages would include Greek, Germanic, Slavic and Egyptian. For simplicity's sake, these would all you would need.
Last edited:
Manzanita
First Post
Background #3
Pending plot situations:
Party has spearpoint of Sergius. Orcs have ravaged the party’s camp above. Presumably Sergius has located the party and will attempt to recover spearpoint.
Party discovered a large room behind one of the many secret doors they’ve found. This room was split by a large crack. On the other side were dozens of bodies in various states of decomposition, and a large ironbound chest. Party did not attempt to cross the chasm.
Party is aware that there are many human slaves being held by the Minotaur king. They have been told by a freed slave, Grassus, that this King rules a sunlit hall accessable through a teleporter in a temple the party has found. The party has not attempted to use this teleporter or find the Minotaur king.
G’ruk, the lizardman shamen, was leading the party towards some secret doors he had discovered that supposedly led to crypts from his Sauron ancesters. He wanted the party’s help finding more secret doors and powerful artifacts in those crypts. After he disappeared, the party did not pursue an attempt to find these crypts. They did find some Sauron crypts, shown to them by the Sphinx. These crypts were full of undead.
Pending plot situations:
Party has spearpoint of Sergius. Orcs have ravaged the party’s camp above. Presumably Sergius has located the party and will attempt to recover spearpoint.
Party discovered a large room behind one of the many secret doors they’ve found. This room was split by a large crack. On the other side were dozens of bodies in various states of decomposition, and a large ironbound chest. Party did not attempt to cross the chasm.
Party is aware that there are many human slaves being held by the Minotaur king. They have been told by a freed slave, Grassus, that this King rules a sunlit hall accessable through a teleporter in a temple the party has found. The party has not attempted to use this teleporter or find the Minotaur king.
G’ruk, the lizardman shamen, was leading the party towards some secret doors he had discovered that supposedly led to crypts from his Sauron ancesters. He wanted the party’s help finding more secret doors and powerful artifacts in those crypts. After he disappeared, the party did not pursue an attempt to find these crypts. They did find some Sauron crypts, shown to them by the Sphinx. These crypts were full of undead.
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