Hairy Minotaur
Explorer
pogre said:
Ooh, tension..... I wonder who'll come out on top?
pogre's story hour Zandyrium -episode 66- (5/10/2006) A short update.
Ooh, tension..... I wonder who'll come out on top?
pogre
Legend
Old One said:Looks like our heroes are doing about as well as usual!
Did my guys ship their dice up to your group?
~ Old One
Ya' know one could have some sympathy for them if they had not been hellbent to track the thing down!
We were talking about the value of the story hours as literature over in Wulf's thread about publishing them formally. One thing a story hour has that most books do not is the possibility that the main characters are going to end in a pool of blood or in a troll's stomach
especially in my SHs
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Hah!
When I started my Faded Glory campaign a couple of years ago...I made it very clear that stupidity can lead to TPKs. My Player's Guide says something like:
"There is no safety net in Faded Glory. If you are 1st level, discover a giant is lairing in the next valley and decide to go after it, don't be suprised if the entire party ends up dead. Not every situation you encounter or creature that crosses your path is meant to be resolved or defeated. Sometimes, discretion is the better part of valor."
Of course, 4 dire rats and a 20' pit almost caused a TPK...so what can you do. To their credit, my boys aren't shy about hauling a$$ if the situation demands...
~ Old One
pogre said:Ya' know one could have some sympathy for them if they had not been hellbent to track the thing down!
We were talking about the value of the story hours as literature over in Wulf's thread about publishing them formally. One thing a story hour has that most books do not is the possibility that the main characters are going to end in a pool of blood or in a troll's stomach
especially in my SHs
When I started my Faded Glory campaign a couple of years ago...I made it very clear that stupidity can lead to TPKs. My Player's Guide says something like:
"There is no safety net in Faded Glory. If you are 1st level, discover a giant is lairing in the next valley and decide to go after it, don't be suprised if the entire party ends up dead. Not every situation you encounter or creature that crosses your path is meant to be resolved or defeated. Sometimes, discretion is the better part of valor."
Of course, 4 dire rats and a 20' pit almost caused a TPK...so what can you do. To their credit, my boys aren't shy about hauling a$$ if the situation demands...
~ Old One
Scorch
Explorer
Just finished reading the third installment, Pogre. I had to laugh when you described the fountain area since I know exactly what encounter they avoided.
I also found it amusing that you rolled on the riderless horse encounter chart just like I did the first night we played Barakus.
We had our third session about two weeks back and I ran them through the wererat secenario I had done those cave pieces up for. Almost had a TPK on my hands until a few good rolls on their part turned the tide. Tousice got away though so he will make a good returning villain.
I look forward to your party's encounters into the main complex.
Scorch
I also found it amusing that you rolled on the riderless horse encounter chart just like I did the first night we played Barakus.
We had our third session about two weeks back and I ran them through the wererat secenario I had done those cave pieces up for. Almost had a TPK on my hands until a few good rolls on their part turned the tide. Tousice got away though so he will make a good returning villain.
I look forward to your party's encounters into the main complex.
Scorch
pogre
Legend
Zandyrium
Episode 04
Justinius clenched his jaw and set himself for the weight of the owlbear’s wrath. Just as the cleric could almost feel the beast’s hot breath, Justinius swung his mace in a wild half arc. The weapon hit the owlbear across the skull, crunching through cranium bone and splattering blood. Justinius stepped to the side as the owlbear stumbled and fell face first to the ground, dead.
Justinius ran to his fallen comrades and quickly stabilized them with quick blessings. Wassabe ran over to the owlbear and hacked it a couple of times to make sure it was not just stunned. Githraldul approached and reassured Wassabe the owlbear was really dead. He asked Justinius, “Will they live?”
“By the grace of Gravitas Morte, yes they shall live.”
“Ho padre, that was quite a smackin’ ye’ gave that bird-thing! Had I known it was in ye’, I’d had never yelled,” Wassabe said.
“My mace was guided by the grace of the eternal peace of Gravitas Morte,” Justinius answered.
“Are these creatures intelligent?” Justinius asked Githraldul pointing at the dead owlbear.
“No, they are beasts,” Githraldul answered. “The wolves will eat well tonight.”
“Wolves?” a groggy Heinrich asked.
“Yes, there is a pack around this area and by the looks of their tracks, they are big ones too,” Githraldul commented.
“Let’s get back to the road,” Mōrguhn suggested.
“Hold on,” Wassabe stated. The mariner swung up into the owlbear’s nest tree and climbed swiftly up to the nest itself. “Ho, these beasts are foul homekeepers, but they do have an eye for the pretties!” Wassabe held a pair of gold nuggets aloft for the others to see. Wassabe kicked the nest apart and satisfied that the nest held no more treasures, he eased himself back down the trunk.
The group gathered their wounded comrades and trudged back through the forest to the road.
*****
That night went by uneventfully and the clerics were able to heal the wounded fully. The next day of travel was interrupted from time to time by Githraldul ducking into the woods and emerging a short time later frustrated.
“What is it Gith?” Ginny asked.
“I’m not sure,” the ranger admitted.
“These pointy ears types – they get nervous as a whore in church,” Wassabe said to Heinrich, elbowing him in the ribs.
Heinrich glowered at Wassabe, incredulous he could say such a thing to a cleric of Siegphorus. Wassabe laughed loudly at Heinrich’s reaction.
****
That night Githraldul woke Mōrguhn gently for his turn on watch. He whispered to the dwarf, “Be careful, there is something out there.”
“What?” Mōrguhn asked gruffly, wiping sleep from his eyes.
Githraldul shook his head and shrugged his shoulders.
“Right,” Mōrguhn acknowledged the elf. He stood up with a groan and began fastening on his armor.
Mōrguhn paced the camp’s edge, idly contemplating his future, when a chill went through him and the hair on the nape of his neck rose up. A moment later there was a flash of dark fur as a pair of huge wolves pounced to the attack.
The wolves towered over the dwarf and he cried out a warning even as they began tearing away bits of his flesh. The rest of the camp emerged quickly from the camp tents with weapons and began beating the wolves. Githraldul’s arrows killed one of the wolves, but the other wolf continued to attack. Mōrguhn fell to its attacks, bleeding from numerous wounds.
Heinrich rushed to Mōrguhn and said a healing prayer over the fallen dwarven warrior. Thoren rushed up and tried to knock the wolf back.
Mōrguhn, healed by Heinrich’s prayer, rolled to his feet. Almost as soon as the dwarf stood the wolf ripped into him again, sending him to the ground unconscious and bleeding a second time. Wassabe and Justinius rushed into the melee and Justinius brained the canine with his mace. Heinrich said another prayer over Mōrguhn and healed him.
The group slumped down exhausted and tried to catch their breath.
“There may be more,” Githraldul commented. “We should double the watch.” Mōrguhn wearily nodded in agreement.
“I think my lord may be calling you to the light young dwarf,” Justinius commented.
“Hey, keep that ‘death is coming’ talk to yourself there,” Mōrguhn objected.
“Aye, don’t ye’ know ole’ Morty let’s dwarves live long ‘cause they smell up the place when they come around?” Wassabe interjected.
“Damnation and pain are granted for those who refuse to answer the cry of Gravitas Morte,” Justinius offered.
“Alright, your creeping me out here death-man,” Mōrguhn complained.
“It is a sacred prayer of my church,” Justinius replied calmly.
“Victory is the reward of the noble warrior,” Heinrich offered.
“That’s a prayer I can get behind,” Mōrguhn said.
Both clerics smiled at the dwarf’s taciturn comments.
“I always thought it was the sneaky bastard that was victorious,” Wassabe whispered to Ginny. Ginny smiled and punched Wassabe with a friendly jab.
***
Morning came and the exhausted group rose to continue on their path to the mountain pass. The Darkfall hills stood in brown and gray starkness against the morning light as the road cut through them. The climbing gradient silenced the usual chitchat as the group struggled upward. The hills rose higher to both sides of the path and at times the adventurers were in deep crevices.
“What are those?” Mōrguhn asked.
No one else had yet seen the crude symbols carved into the hillsides surrounding the trail, but now they seemed obvious. Lewd facial contortions on squat bodies were carved in bas relief all along the trail.
“Do they have religious significance?” Heinrich asked Justinius.
“I should not think so,” Justinius replied. “Unless they are for a war god of some kind.”
“They are warnings,” Githraldul stated. “They are old and were carved here by orcs. We are near their lair or fortress as they call it.”
“You can read these things?” Justinius was obviously impressed with Githraldul’s interpretation.
“You do not read them. That is not the way of the orc. They are supposed to fill you with fear. The entrance must be nearby.” Githraldul knocked some more rubble and dust off one of the visages. Tracing their way along the carvings the adventurers found themselves standing before a pair of broken down wooden doors framed by large carved tusks.
Ginny and Thoren led the group into the hillside where a set of rough-hewn stairs led them down.
“What’s that,” Thoren asked pointing at a pile to the side of the stairs.
“Just some garbage,” Ginny answered. “Leave it alone because there are a couple of …” Her sentence was interrupted by the hulking fighter moving the garbage and a couple of huge rats attacking. One of the beasts sunk its teeth deep into Thoren’s flesh and he recoiled in disgust and pain.
“Rats,” Ginny said finishing her previous thought. She neatly cut the rat’s throat even as it hung from Thoren’s fleshy thigh. A couple of quick arrows from Githraldul killed the other rodent.
Heinrich examined the fighter’s wounds in the torchlight, “You will live my friend.”
“It may be prudent to heal him anyway – rats are known for their vile diseases,” Githraldul suggested.
“Unfortunately, our interrupted sleep last night left me rather low on supplications for healing,” Heinrich answered. Justinius merely nodded to indicate his similar state.
“I’m fine,” Thoren growled and went to the front of the group again.
**
The stairs led to a large natural cavern with tunnels leading out. The cavern itself had a few pillars sticking up from the floor along the walls and Githraldul saw something moving on top of one. The ranger quickly fired a couple of shots at the movement, but missed. He informed the rest, “There is a creature atop that pedestal over there. I’m not sure what it is.”
Wassabe leapt into action and began scaling the pedestal, “Well let’s have a look then shall we?”
A foul ghoul poked its head over the edge and looked down at the mariner. It pounced down from its perch and tried to rake its filth encrusted nails across Wassabe. Wassabe jumped down from the pedestal to one side and the ghoul’s attack missed him. Justinius took up his holy symbol and cried out, “The will of Gravitas Morte repels thee foul abomination!”
The ghoul continued to attack. Thoren stepped up and hacked the undead creature in twain with his greatsword.
“Are there anymore?” Heinrich asked Githraldul. Githraldul shook his head no.
“I will find out,” Thoren offered. The fighter put his greatsword in its scabbard and began to climb one of the pedestals. Just as he was about to reach the top he slipped and fell to the ground, hard. Heinrich moved up to check on him. “I’m fine,” Thoren stated pushing the cleric away. “Now, give me room,” he stated gruffly.
Thoren again began to ascend the side of the column, and again right at the top he slipped off and fell. This time the fighter struck his head and was bleeding heavily from a gash near one ear.
Wassabe stepped forward and pulled something out of his pack. “Look here ole’ boy,” Wassabe said casually swinging a grappling hook on a rope, “Let me give it a shot.” Thoren and the rest of the group watched as Wassabe deftly threw the climbing hook up and secured it atop the pedestal. The mariner then practically raced to the top and surveyed the area. “No more unfriendlies up here, but I do see something of interest…”
“You could have mentioned that damned hook…” Thoren grumbled. The fighter was reeling from his head injuries.
Wassabe slid down the rope and quickly disengaged the grappling hook and moved over to another one of the columns. He soon returned to the ground with a small chest. “Who wants to open this?” Wassabe asked.
Ginny started to move forward but Mōrguhn cut her off. “No need to take any chances,” the dwarf said and he pried the lid off. A flask tumbled out of the box and broke on the hard cavern floor. Mōrguhn cursed. The box also contained a few coppers and a nice heavy flail. Thoren threw these items in a sack and into his pack.
“Let’s go,” Thoren announced and began leading the group down a passage.
*
The passage opened up into another large rough-hewn chamber. A large throne dominated the middle of the chamber. Propped up in the throne sharpening his nails with a dagger was an immense ogre.
Thoren minced no words and the heavily wounded fighter charged head long into the chamber. The ogre stood and readied his weapon. Thoren’s weapon dug deeply into the giant, but the ogre withstood the assault.
The ogre brought his greatclub down on Thoren with a sickening crunch. Thoren went down on the chamber floor in a pool of his own blood. “Come play with Grosh,” the ogre bellowed.
To be continued…
Episode 04
Justinius clenched his jaw and set himself for the weight of the owlbear’s wrath. Just as the cleric could almost feel the beast’s hot breath, Justinius swung his mace in a wild half arc. The weapon hit the owlbear across the skull, crunching through cranium bone and splattering blood. Justinius stepped to the side as the owlbear stumbled and fell face first to the ground, dead.
Justinius ran to his fallen comrades and quickly stabilized them with quick blessings. Wassabe ran over to the owlbear and hacked it a couple of times to make sure it was not just stunned. Githraldul approached and reassured Wassabe the owlbear was really dead. He asked Justinius, “Will they live?”
“By the grace of Gravitas Morte, yes they shall live.”
“Ho padre, that was quite a smackin’ ye’ gave that bird-thing! Had I known it was in ye’, I’d had never yelled,” Wassabe said.
“My mace was guided by the grace of the eternal peace of Gravitas Morte,” Justinius answered.
“Are these creatures intelligent?” Justinius asked Githraldul pointing at the dead owlbear.
“No, they are beasts,” Githraldul answered. “The wolves will eat well tonight.”
“Wolves?” a groggy Heinrich asked.
“Yes, there is a pack around this area and by the looks of their tracks, they are big ones too,” Githraldul commented.
“Let’s get back to the road,” Mōrguhn suggested.
“Hold on,” Wassabe stated. The mariner swung up into the owlbear’s nest tree and climbed swiftly up to the nest itself. “Ho, these beasts are foul homekeepers, but they do have an eye for the pretties!” Wassabe held a pair of gold nuggets aloft for the others to see. Wassabe kicked the nest apart and satisfied that the nest held no more treasures, he eased himself back down the trunk.
The group gathered their wounded comrades and trudged back through the forest to the road.
*****
That night went by uneventfully and the clerics were able to heal the wounded fully. The next day of travel was interrupted from time to time by Githraldul ducking into the woods and emerging a short time later frustrated.
“What is it Gith?” Ginny asked.
“I’m not sure,” the ranger admitted.
“These pointy ears types – they get nervous as a whore in church,” Wassabe said to Heinrich, elbowing him in the ribs.
Heinrich glowered at Wassabe, incredulous he could say such a thing to a cleric of Siegphorus. Wassabe laughed loudly at Heinrich’s reaction.
****
That night Githraldul woke Mōrguhn gently for his turn on watch. He whispered to the dwarf, “Be careful, there is something out there.”
“What?” Mōrguhn asked gruffly, wiping sleep from his eyes.
Githraldul shook his head and shrugged his shoulders.
“Right,” Mōrguhn acknowledged the elf. He stood up with a groan and began fastening on his armor.
Mōrguhn paced the camp’s edge, idly contemplating his future, when a chill went through him and the hair on the nape of his neck rose up. A moment later there was a flash of dark fur as a pair of huge wolves pounced to the attack.
The wolves towered over the dwarf and he cried out a warning even as they began tearing away bits of his flesh. The rest of the camp emerged quickly from the camp tents with weapons and began beating the wolves. Githraldul’s arrows killed one of the wolves, but the other wolf continued to attack. Mōrguhn fell to its attacks, bleeding from numerous wounds.
Heinrich rushed to Mōrguhn and said a healing prayer over the fallen dwarven warrior. Thoren rushed up and tried to knock the wolf back.
Mōrguhn, healed by Heinrich’s prayer, rolled to his feet. Almost as soon as the dwarf stood the wolf ripped into him again, sending him to the ground unconscious and bleeding a second time. Wassabe and Justinius rushed into the melee and Justinius brained the canine with his mace. Heinrich said another prayer over Mōrguhn and healed him.
The group slumped down exhausted and tried to catch their breath.
“There may be more,” Githraldul commented. “We should double the watch.” Mōrguhn wearily nodded in agreement.
“I think my lord may be calling you to the light young dwarf,” Justinius commented.
“Hey, keep that ‘death is coming’ talk to yourself there,” Mōrguhn objected.
“Aye, don’t ye’ know ole’ Morty let’s dwarves live long ‘cause they smell up the place when they come around?” Wassabe interjected.
“Damnation and pain are granted for those who refuse to answer the cry of Gravitas Morte,” Justinius offered.
“Alright, your creeping me out here death-man,” Mōrguhn complained.
“It is a sacred prayer of my church,” Justinius replied calmly.
“Victory is the reward of the noble warrior,” Heinrich offered.
“That’s a prayer I can get behind,” Mōrguhn said.
Both clerics smiled at the dwarf’s taciturn comments.
“I always thought it was the sneaky bastard that was victorious,” Wassabe whispered to Ginny. Ginny smiled and punched Wassabe with a friendly jab.
***
Morning came and the exhausted group rose to continue on their path to the mountain pass. The Darkfall hills stood in brown and gray starkness against the morning light as the road cut through them. The climbing gradient silenced the usual chitchat as the group struggled upward. The hills rose higher to both sides of the path and at times the adventurers were in deep crevices.
“What are those?” Mōrguhn asked.
No one else had yet seen the crude symbols carved into the hillsides surrounding the trail, but now they seemed obvious. Lewd facial contortions on squat bodies were carved in bas relief all along the trail.
“Do they have religious significance?” Heinrich asked Justinius.
“I should not think so,” Justinius replied. “Unless they are for a war god of some kind.”
“They are warnings,” Githraldul stated. “They are old and were carved here by orcs. We are near their lair or fortress as they call it.”
“You can read these things?” Justinius was obviously impressed with Githraldul’s interpretation.
“You do not read them. That is not the way of the orc. They are supposed to fill you with fear. The entrance must be nearby.” Githraldul knocked some more rubble and dust off one of the visages. Tracing their way along the carvings the adventurers found themselves standing before a pair of broken down wooden doors framed by large carved tusks.
Ginny and Thoren led the group into the hillside where a set of rough-hewn stairs led them down.
“What’s that,” Thoren asked pointing at a pile to the side of the stairs.
“Just some garbage,” Ginny answered. “Leave it alone because there are a couple of …” Her sentence was interrupted by the hulking fighter moving the garbage and a couple of huge rats attacking. One of the beasts sunk its teeth deep into Thoren’s flesh and he recoiled in disgust and pain.
“Rats,” Ginny said finishing her previous thought. She neatly cut the rat’s throat even as it hung from Thoren’s fleshy thigh. A couple of quick arrows from Githraldul killed the other rodent.
Heinrich examined the fighter’s wounds in the torchlight, “You will live my friend.”
“It may be prudent to heal him anyway – rats are known for their vile diseases,” Githraldul suggested.
“Unfortunately, our interrupted sleep last night left me rather low on supplications for healing,” Heinrich answered. Justinius merely nodded to indicate his similar state.
“I’m fine,” Thoren growled and went to the front of the group again.
**
The stairs led to a large natural cavern with tunnels leading out. The cavern itself had a few pillars sticking up from the floor along the walls and Githraldul saw something moving on top of one. The ranger quickly fired a couple of shots at the movement, but missed. He informed the rest, “There is a creature atop that pedestal over there. I’m not sure what it is.”
Wassabe leapt into action and began scaling the pedestal, “Well let’s have a look then shall we?”
A foul ghoul poked its head over the edge and looked down at the mariner. It pounced down from its perch and tried to rake its filth encrusted nails across Wassabe. Wassabe jumped down from the pedestal to one side and the ghoul’s attack missed him. Justinius took up his holy symbol and cried out, “The will of Gravitas Morte repels thee foul abomination!”
The ghoul continued to attack. Thoren stepped up and hacked the undead creature in twain with his greatsword.
“Are there anymore?” Heinrich asked Githraldul. Githraldul shook his head no.
“I will find out,” Thoren offered. The fighter put his greatsword in its scabbard and began to climb one of the pedestals. Just as he was about to reach the top he slipped and fell to the ground, hard. Heinrich moved up to check on him. “I’m fine,” Thoren stated pushing the cleric away. “Now, give me room,” he stated gruffly.
Thoren again began to ascend the side of the column, and again right at the top he slipped off and fell. This time the fighter struck his head and was bleeding heavily from a gash near one ear.
Wassabe stepped forward and pulled something out of his pack. “Look here ole’ boy,” Wassabe said casually swinging a grappling hook on a rope, “Let me give it a shot.” Thoren and the rest of the group watched as Wassabe deftly threw the climbing hook up and secured it atop the pedestal. The mariner then practically raced to the top and surveyed the area. “No more unfriendlies up here, but I do see something of interest…”
“You could have mentioned that damned hook…” Thoren grumbled. The fighter was reeling from his head injuries.
Wassabe slid down the rope and quickly disengaged the grappling hook and moved over to another one of the columns. He soon returned to the ground with a small chest. “Who wants to open this?” Wassabe asked.
Ginny started to move forward but Mōrguhn cut her off. “No need to take any chances,” the dwarf said and he pried the lid off. A flask tumbled out of the box and broke on the hard cavern floor. Mōrguhn cursed. The box also contained a few coppers and a nice heavy flail. Thoren threw these items in a sack and into his pack.
“Let’s go,” Thoren announced and began leading the group down a passage.
*
The passage opened up into another large rough-hewn chamber. A large throne dominated the middle of the chamber. Propped up in the throne sharpening his nails with a dagger was an immense ogre.
Thoren minced no words and the heavily wounded fighter charged head long into the chamber. The ogre stood and readied his weapon. Thoren’s weapon dug deeply into the giant, but the ogre withstood the assault.
The ogre brought his greatclub down on Thoren with a sickening crunch. Thoren went down on the chamber floor in a pool of his own blood. “Come play with Grosh,” the ogre bellowed.
To be continued…
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Broccli_Head
Explorer
Is this going to be the earliest TPK yet?
I actually had my first TPK for a Call of Cthulhu: Dark Ages game earlier this week. I'm looking for more PC blood now.
Mwhahahahahahaha!![:]](http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png "Devious :]")
I actually had my first TPK for a Call of Cthulhu: Dark Ages game earlier this week. I'm looking for more PC blood now.
Mwhahahahahahaha!
Steve Jung
Explorer
So does every character have an unconscious miniature, or just M?rguhn?
pogre
Legend
Steve Jung said:So does every character have an unconscious miniature, or just M?rguhn?
I know you are pulling my leg, but that is a great idea! I just happened to have an old GW dwarf casualty painted, but the idea of modelling all of the characters' figures battered unconscious and prone might be pretty cool. It might even inspire me to turn it up a notch
Broccli_Head said:
Careful, it's addicting
My players have entered me in a recovery program, but so far they have not seen positive progress.
One other note to share: I will be away from the boards for a fair amount of time. I am leaving for a family vacation later today. When I return home next week I turn around and fly to China. I received an awesome opportunity to deliver some lectures at the University of Guang Zhou and will be touring Shang Hai and Beijing when I'm there. So, I won't be around until mid July or so, but I will be gathering gaming ideas at the Great Wall!
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