The Riddle of Midnight (3/04/04) New Post!

[Paka]

The Riddle of Midnight - Karhoun Keep Part III - Post #9

Vorden and Karhoun met in the halls, on their way to meet in council with all who they had brought with them in their peril. Vorden laughed and quickly said, "You're in love with a Fey?" I cannot read minds well but if I could, the words in Vorden's mind might have been, Poor bastard.

Karhoun took out a green oak leaf, still vibrant despite the northland chill. Vorden didn't need to consult his Lorebook to know it was a Dryad's leaf. He only smiled and put his hand on his friend's shoulder.

We broke fast in my great hall, chairs covered in dust and dirt. Where once they were united in purpose and passion, now they were divided. Baau wished to follow Laeli to the Breeders' Pits in the Northlands. Vorden wanted to make his way to the Erethor Forest, to see his native lands that held his father's childhood.

Karhoun wanted many things. The Northman wanted to travel the north, gathering Wildlanders like himself under his banner. He wanted to gather every hermit in the forest, every son or grandson of a Third Age soldier in some forsaken wilderness and show them a purpose. Come spring he wanted to light fire to Bastion's fields again, drive that blade deeper.

Vorden suggested that I burn the fields and that is when I broke my silence. "I am a Dragon and a mighty creature in your eyes. Izrador, and I am loathe to say his dark name this far north, but the Shadow has Dragons in his charge who can think back on the beginning of time, the cooling of the world, the breaking of the continents in an age when Giants ruled Eredane before the coming of the Fey.

"I have no memories as such. I am still a man in many ways of the mind and spirit.

"Use me and you run the risk of Izrador sending terrible beasts unlike anything you have ever seen before."

It was decided thus:

Baau would lead a quest to find his love. Jurev would go, if for no other reason to track down his brother, but also he went in order to fight for something beautiful.

Vorden Qell, the Crimson Prince, would accompany Baau on his quest and when Baau's love, the Gem of the Muransil was once agan by his side, they would make their way to the Erethor, to be wed in its capital city, the most ancient city on the continent.

Karhoun would return home to confront his father. "Vildar is a kinslayer and it is his wyrd to be killed by one of his sons. I mean to find out if I am that son. I have unfinished business there.

"However, I swore an oath by campfire to help you, Baau. And I am loathe to leave you in the northlands, when I could be of great aid."

At this Hishaya spoke, "Karhoun Ironblood, we lit a great fire in Bastion. I brought my friends with me this far so they could see for themselves that you were like a Northman of old. I will take up your oath and see to it that Baau is aided in his journey north. I believe I know where these pits are and if you have business in your homeland, tend to that.

"Baau, consider me a poor subsitute for your Dornish Wildlander. I will take up his oath. If he had not been valiant and bold in the Bastion District, you would never have met me nor my kin and I would be a slave in Steel Hill. Consider this Karhoun's oath fulfilled."

Baau, an Elf of few words, nodded, pleased with this arrangement that allowed Karhoun to follow his heart.

Baau and his company began to pack and provision themselves and they all looked at Karhoun and wondered if they would ever see him again.

 

[Paka]

The Riddle of Midnight - The Gem of Miransil's Love - Post #10

<quote to be inserted here>

While Baau and company went about the hustle and bustle of their preperation, Vorden came to me with questions. His Lorebook was filled with information, lore he shared with me freely. It told of his time in the Dark Tower of Theros Obsidia and of his journies with the Gnomish folk upon the Pellurian Sea, what the Gnomes call the Ebon.

"I took a stone from a burial mound and Karhoun's...you ancestors were angry, are angry with me. This is understandable and I want to make it right. Whose mound was it, just east of Baldrin's tomb?"

I smiled. "That is Bjorn Silverhand. He was a brutal warrior in the First Age, when the Dornish first arrived on Eredane and made terrible war upon the Fey Folk, burning down the Erethor and laying siege to the Witch Queen's City.

"Bjorn Esben was a brutal fighter and always in the lead of his army's charge. He lost his hand in a battle and fixed a six-fingered silver hand upon his wrist. It was made from the Elves' Lore, althought Dornish Sorcerer's claimed to have contributed to its making. The hand was given to the humans as a naming gift, upon their arrival to Eredane but the Northman took the Elves' gifts and made war upon them, not understanding the Fey Folk's customs.

"When Bjorn was fighting in the Plains of Eris Aman, he clashed steel with Alrin Hoard-breaker, the Wood Elf who contributed the most craft and lore to the Silver Hand. Alrin was known for going about Eredane and reclaiming his gifts because he was the most generous when the Dornish first arrived and was the most wrathful when these humans took steel and fire to the Elves and the Elf-kin.

"Bjorn returned to his keep, Karhoun Keep, a broken man. While the Dornish Kings made peace, Bjorn began to die a gray death from a long suffering infection in his wrist.

"Bjorn's wife, Freylina, was consumed with anger. She crept away at night, leaving Bjorn in the care of her sisters and carried her longbow into the Erethor. While the Witch Queen tended to her groves, Freylina fired her bow at the Elvish monarch. The Witch Queen killed her with her own hands and sent Freylina back to this keep, with full honors.

"Bjorn died a gray death, while his wife was ushered into the Feasting Hall of the Valiant Dead. Some say that Bjorn's wife did him honor but others said differently.

"Making that spirit pleased will not be an easy task."

Vorden asked me where the Silver Hand was and I confessed I didn't know. When he looked in his Lorebook, he found fragments of the same tale from the Elven perspective. This tale told of the humans, stealing artifacts of Elven power and how Alrin went across Eredane and gathered his works and makings to him. On a statue in the capital city of the Erethor lies what appeared to be a Silver Hand. Vorden closed his book and thanked me.

When Baau came to fetch Vorden and begin his quest, the Scarlet Prince asked, "Were you aware how dazzling our history is?"

Baau shrugged, "I am aware that Laeli left earlier and has a six hour head start on us."

Jurev joined in, "My brother is good with animals. There are some wild ponies north of here, he commented on them to me upon our arrival. If they can summon mounts, they will be impossible to catch on the northern steppes."

"First I must see to the arming of the heroes," I announced, "Come to the great hall and I will see that my guests do not leave my keep empty-handed. Never let it be said that the Great Wyrm of the Fortress Wall was an inhospitable host."

 

[med stud]

This is a great story, Paka! I really like it.

How much difference does it make story-wise using Riddle of steel instead of D&D? Like, how many things did you have to change in the plot and the encounters (well I guess the encounters had to be changed pretty much)?

And a little thing: If yo want a more athentic "Bjorn" you should add ¨ over the "o" so it becomes "Björn". I can understand if you feel it's unnecessary, I just figured I could tell you.

 

[Paka]

This is a great story, Paka! I really like it.

How much difference does it make story-wise using Riddle of steel instead of D&D? Like, how many things did you have to change in the plot and the encounters (well I guess the encounters had to be changed pretty much)?

And a little thing: If yo want a more athentic "Bjorn" you should add ¨ over the "o" so it becomes "Björn". I can understand if you feel it's unnecessary, I just figured I could tell you.

Thanks for the Bjorn aid.

The Riddle makes a whole lot of difference, as system often does. I feel the game allows the player to tell the DM what is important to them about their character, through the all important Spiritual Attributes. When players aren't getting SA points, it is really obvious and it means the game needs some tweaking to get back to the essentials.

Encounters and combat in general are much more deadly in the Riddle' system, especially when the PC's Spiritual Attributes isn't being utilized. The game really has "fight for what is important to you" written into the mechanics. The game's central question is (as you know) "What are you willing to kill for?"

In Midnight, hopefully, the players are killing for freedom and what is right but in a world this steeped in Shadow and Evil, those things can get messy and lost.

I haven't consciously changed anything in the plot but perhaps I would be more willing to throw in bigger, badder monsters in D&D, perhaps the Sphinx or the Manticore, who are hunting the people who killed their Chimera brother, would have already made an appearance.

Not sure.

Good question. Thanks for reading.

 

[The Forsaken One]

isnt it the sphinx and chimera that hunt them because they killed their manticore brother

 

[Broccli_Head]

Glad I saved the best for last. Really enjoying the story and the more I read the more I anticipate getting TROS...

 

[Paka]

isnt it the sphinx and chimera that hunt them because they killed their manticore brother

Um...woops.

Scratch that one. Sorry.

Yeah, what F.O. said.

 

[Paka]

This is a great story, Paka! I really like it.

How much difference does it make story-wise using Riddle of steel instead of D&D? Like, how many things did you have to change in the plot and the encounters (well I guess the encounters had to be changed pretty much)?

Aye med stud, i'm glad you like the story.

i've been re-thinking your question and the area where this game has changed most of all has been the magic. Magic or Sorcery in TROS is heinously powrful, really world altering stuff.

I feel it is the threat of possible sniffer Demons and Legates that has kept them from realy ripping loose.

In the next post you'll see how huge the magic can get, how powerful it can be. Brutal stuff.

Enjoy.

 

[Paka]

The Riddle of Midnight - Gift-Giving for Baau's Quest - Post # 11

They gathered in my great hall, which has had no guests save dust and tears for a century. The hall seemed filled now with Karhoun the Knife and his compatriots. Baau was set to go upon his quest to find his love. The optimism it took to head north for such a thing as love touched me.

“Baau,” I bellowed, as Dragons are wont to do, “come forward. My gift to you is this mighty weapon, Heartspear. It has a long history of spilling blood for passion and love. Heartspear’s past is not without its tragedy. Be careful of this weapon, Baau.”

Baau picked up the great spear with reverence. “What is there to be careful about, great Dragon?”

“Anything made to maim and kill in the name of love is a truly dangerous weapon. It has a way of twisting passions. Be wary, passion isn’t always a virtue, Baau.”

“Vorden Qell, come forward,” I bellowed again. “Vorden, you are welcome in my home and you have been a good and gracious guest. However, if you should come to my keep again, make sure the Shadow’s mark on your forehead is stricken from you. I will have no guests in my keep ever again who allow a Night King to mark them like cattle, even if that Night King was your father.”

Vorden nodded solemnly.

“Vorden, to you I give this,” and I handed the Wood Elf a leather bag. Within it was an iron shod for his staff. “When the Shadow raided south the Druids stayed at our keep for a time, before making their last stand in Yggdra, by their great Beacon Tree. Make this heal your staff and ease your journey.”

“Elven archers, my gift-hoard is not what it once was. I am sorry. I have only one gift, a single arrow to be split among the three of you. But this single arrow is a mighty weapon against the Shadow.”

On the table I placed the gleaming gem of my hoard, wasting in this keep when it could be out in the world, doing battle against evil. The arrow was white like ivory, seemingly made from a single element.

“This is a Shadowsbane arrow. Once Elven archers filled their quarrel with them and smote the Shadow with every shot of their bows. They are born from Heartoak, deep in the Erethor and Mithril from deep in the Caradul. Each arrow is a triumph of Dwarven and Elvish craftsmanship.”

They each showed appropriate awe, which made me proud.

Jurez, the Snow Elf asked, “What will happen when we fire it?”

“I don’t know. It has been over a century since a Shadowsbane arrow was fired in battle. Make sure whatever you fire at is of the Shadow and that your aim is true.

“I only have one, so Baau, you will be charged with its keeping. This is your noble quest and so the arrow is put in your charge. Use it well.”

They thanked me properly and left my keep, Karhoun’s Keep in the Fortress Wall. I wondered if I would ever see any of them again, if my home would ever hold laughter and guests again before the Shadow sends a greater Worm than I to destroy me.

Baau turned north towards his love with Vorden and his Snow Elf companions at his side to see his quest to its end.

 

[Broccli_Head]

Too short a post! Ah well, can't wait until the next one.

I am definitely curious as to how you will handle magical weapons with TROS. Will you give extra dice to the CP? Lower ATN?DTN?