Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
The Swordlands - updated 28th May; The Hanged Man
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Mathew_Freeman" data-source="post: 4460947" data-attributes="member: 1846"><p><strong>Pre-Game Introduction</strong></p><p></p><p>The northman looked out of place amongst the wealth and trappings of civilisation, but his host, the trophy hunter, who had so enjoyed hearing his stories had insisted on lavishing food, wine, and fineries upon him. Iben's account of his encounter at sea had captivated him such that he had commissioned an artist to conjure a fanciful likeness of the beast, complete with razor sharp talons and monsytrous jaws, dismissing Iben's protest that he had not actually seen the monster's head, if indeed it even had one.</p><p></p><p>"Well my friend!" declared Lord Wyvernhoe standing hands on hips before the portrait, "The one piece missing from my collection. You have found me a dragon, and no mistake! I shall have it's head, and you shall lead me to it!"</p><p></p><p>Within a week a frigate was chartered. The Aurora , a ship of war bedecked with harpoons and bristling with armaments such that a pirate prince would shudder at the prospect of facing her on the open sea. Busy about the deck, a crew of veteran mariners full of rude talk, each one with a keen eye for trouble and profit. And, come the unexpected, a party of adventurers of varied talents who had each been met with offers of highly paid work, enough to take them out onto the high seas in search of monsters. The captain, Lord Wyvernhoe himself, had sailed the seas far and wide in his day, yet he had never seen nor heard of the distant land which the curious northman had arrived. This fact intrigued him nearly as much as the marvellous prize he imagined he would soon boast.</p><p></p><p>Several months passed at sea. With the clement harbours of Concordance far behind them the waters grew wild and the weather came upon them. With no sign of land nor quarry it happened that the crew took to muttering, cursing their captain and his inane folly, for they did not take to rationing with their sponsor so laden with gold. A ship wrecker of a night it was when Wyvernhoe, far in his cups, came stumbling into the midsts of just such a meeting.</p><p></p><p>"You worthless dogs!" He shouted, "With our prey near abouts, you find time to plot and connive! Look upon this fine party of fellows over there. They are all accustomed to hardship and deprivation, they understand that great rewards lie ahead and they do not idle themselves in cheap talk! Come the morning I'll have you flogged for your dissent!" Maybe it was small consolation that the sailors were spared a whipping, for that night the beast they hunted came upon them.</p><p></p><p>Deep beneath the rolling black waters, a dim glow appeared rising, growing larger and brighter until the barnacled hull of the Aurora shimmered with ghostly radiance from below. The ship's bell rang, and as the crew leapt from their hammocks there came an almighty crash. The ship lifted in its entirety into the air before shattering it's timbers like tinder. The crew were hurled in all directions into the icy water, where they were dragged down amidst wreckage and ruin to a watery grave.</p><p></p><p>A few among them made the surface, and as they emerged they glimpsed a colossal serpentine from, it's coils, long enough to encircle the remains of the Aurora many time around, were lit with scintillating patterns of phosphorescent light, glowing points on the tips of many long fronds that decorated it's body. The survivors struggled helplessly as the body of the beast rolled and turned with effortless grace around them before the waves consumed it, the phantom light spiralling down into the depths of the northern ocean.</p><p></p><p>Fortunately for the adventurers who had survived the attack, the Aurora's small craft remained intact and now drifted a short swim away. Without oars they soon learned that the vessel hosted a bound elemental within it's rear mounted figurehead which, when properly commanded, would heave a gust of wind into a single sail and thus propel boat and crew forwards. With the nearest land some way to the north the decision was quickly reached to continue on before the beast struck again.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Mathew_Freeman, post: 4460947, member: 1846"] [b]Pre-Game Introduction[/b] The northman looked out of place amongst the wealth and trappings of civilisation, but his host, the trophy hunter, who had so enjoyed hearing his stories had insisted on lavishing food, wine, and fineries upon him. Iben's account of his encounter at sea had captivated him such that he had commissioned an artist to conjure a fanciful likeness of the beast, complete with razor sharp talons and monsytrous jaws, dismissing Iben's protest that he had not actually seen the monster's head, if indeed it even had one. "Well my friend!" declared Lord Wyvernhoe standing hands on hips before the portrait, "The one piece missing from my collection. You have found me a dragon, and no mistake! I shall have it's head, and you shall lead me to it!" Within a week a frigate was chartered. The Aurora , a ship of war bedecked with harpoons and bristling with armaments such that a pirate prince would shudder at the prospect of facing her on the open sea. Busy about the deck, a crew of veteran mariners full of rude talk, each one with a keen eye for trouble and profit. And, come the unexpected, a party of adventurers of varied talents who had each been met with offers of highly paid work, enough to take them out onto the high seas in search of monsters. The captain, Lord Wyvernhoe himself, had sailed the seas far and wide in his day, yet he had never seen nor heard of the distant land which the curious northman had arrived. This fact intrigued him nearly as much as the marvellous prize he imagined he would soon boast. Several months passed at sea. With the clement harbours of Concordance far behind them the waters grew wild and the weather came upon them. With no sign of land nor quarry it happened that the crew took to muttering, cursing their captain and his inane folly, for they did not take to rationing with their sponsor so laden with gold. A ship wrecker of a night it was when Wyvernhoe, far in his cups, came stumbling into the midsts of just such a meeting. "You worthless dogs!" He shouted, "With our prey near abouts, you find time to plot and connive! Look upon this fine party of fellows over there. They are all accustomed to hardship and deprivation, they understand that great rewards lie ahead and they do not idle themselves in cheap talk! Come the morning I'll have you flogged for your dissent!" Maybe it was small consolation that the sailors were spared a whipping, for that night the beast they hunted came upon them. Deep beneath the rolling black waters, a dim glow appeared rising, growing larger and brighter until the barnacled hull of the Aurora shimmered with ghostly radiance from below. The ship's bell rang, and as the crew leapt from their hammocks there came an almighty crash. The ship lifted in its entirety into the air before shattering it's timbers like tinder. The crew were hurled in all directions into the icy water, where they were dragged down amidst wreckage and ruin to a watery grave. A few among them made the surface, and as they emerged they glimpsed a colossal serpentine from, it's coils, long enough to encircle the remains of the Aurora many time around, were lit with scintillating patterns of phosphorescent light, glowing points on the tips of many long fronds that decorated it's body. The survivors struggled helplessly as the body of the beast rolled and turned with effortless grace around them before the waves consumed it, the phantom light spiralling down into the depths of the northern ocean. Fortunately for the adventurers who had survived the attack, the Aurora's small craft remained intact and now drifted a short swim away. Without oars they soon learned that the vessel hosted a bound elemental within it's rear mounted figurehead which, when properly commanded, would heave a gust of wind into a single sail and thus propel boat and crew forwards. With the nearest land some way to the north the decision was quickly reached to continue on before the beast struck again. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
The Swordlands - updated 28th May; The Hanged Man
Top