JollyDoc's Shackled City: FINAL POST [Updated 11/2!!]
Quick preview of the next update (which I hope to have up this Friday night, PST):
1. Ike sees dead people -- specifically, himself
2. The party debates the pros and cons of Celestial Brilliance with Nidrama
3. Reaching the top of Skullrot, the Bright Axes fight the creme de la creme of its guardians
4. DARK MYRAKUL
1. Ike sees dead people -- specifically, himself
2. The party debates the pros and cons of Celestial Brilliance with Nidrama
3. Reaching the top of Skullrot, the Bright Axes fight the creme de la creme of its guardians
4. DARK MYRAKUL
Neverwinter Knight
First Post
So soon? Yippi !!!gfunk said:
1. Ike sees dead people -- specifically, himself
I knew it!
![:]](http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png "Devious :]")
2. The party debates the pros and cons of Celestial Brilliance with Nidrama
This isn't the point where Entropy kills the party and finishes the adventure on her own, is it?
3. Reaching the top of Skullrot, the Bright Axes fight the creme de la creme of its guardians
groovy - big A. at last
4. DARK MYRAKUL
Between Entropy and Grimm, I give him 3 rounds tops.
JollyDoc
Explorer
Long time fans of Shackled City might want to check out this website, a neat resource for enthusiasts of the campaign.
http://therpgenius.com/Default.aspx?alias=therpgenius.com/shackledcity
http://therpgenius.com/Default.aspx?alias=therpgenius.com/shackledcity
Joachim
First Post
Got Cheese?
Does this OOTS script remind y'all of anyone?
http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=216
Man, even if he got the rules wrong, its still funny, and I love Rich's comic. Joe and I met him at GenCon and got his autograph and sketches.
Does this OOTS script remind y'all of anyone?
http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=216
Man, even if he got the rules wrong, its still funny, and I love Rich's comic. Joe and I met him at GenCon and got his autograph and sketches.
Graywolf-ELM
Explorer
Yeah, a buddy of mine was talking about the comic, and I told him to come here and read this story hour if he wants to really see it in action.
GW
GW
Whisper Things Into My Brain, Assuring Me That I'm Insane
Moving slowly at first, and then picking up the pace as he neared the lab, Ike looked uncharacteristically worried. As a goliath, few things frightened him, but what he experienced in Skullrot prior to his resurrection was nothing short of mind-numbingly horrific.
Walking into the room, everything fit, memories flooded back to him. The racks, the vats filled with body parts, the vials of acid, the rusted scalpel and in the shadows, appearing as a mountain of stitched together flesh stood two huge humanoid-like creatures. Ike approached with trepidation until he caught a glimpse of himself staring back. A picture of agony, his face was sewed onto one of the golems, its visage paralyzed in an expression of unimaginable pain. Suddenly, the fear left and the rage returned to him once more.
"You bastards! You stole my face!!! I"LL KILL YOU!!!!!!"
His warhammer caused a sickening squishing sound as it pounded against rotted flesh. Responding to the aggression, the golems animated and began similarly slamming their fists into the battle rager – he hardly noticed.
A rush of cold air, followed by the tinkling sound of water vapor freezing manifested high above Ike as Houshang's cone of cold enveloped the golems, slowing their movements significantly. Next came Tilly and Kiko who continued to pound upon the golem that Ike had engaged. Grimm's spiked chain then finished the creature off, bisecting it at the torso – then using the inertia to dig his weapon deep into the second one.
As a giant, Kiko was almost as tall as the construct he faced. Almost effortlessly, his arms moved to intercept all the golems seemingly clumsy strikes. These parries were followed by a masterful riposte into the creature's belly causing it to double over. Ike ran up and smashed it in the head with all his might, as it stopped moving forever.
Still hyperventilating, Ike could hardly contain himself, "Those bastards . . . they beat me . . . tortured me . . . but I would never talk. Then they ripped off my skin! THEY MUST DIE!!"
He continued to bash the prone, inanimate piles of flesh until the Bright Axes managed to pull him away. It seemed that the insanity that pervaded this asylum was beginning to slowly affect them.
---------------------------------------------
Slouva had thoroughly enjoyed the display. It was indeed unheard of to have one of their stitched victims return to view their own corpse. Frankly, she would have thought he would be glad to see that his useless face had gone to make something greater.
As she slid back into the shadows in the balcony, Lriznisith glided effortlessly yet quietly towards the interlopers. The chasme was weak and it would provide the hor'd'oeuvres and she the main course.
Dark Myrakul must not have all the fun.
---------------------------------------------
"Look, deva, we are going to put up the celestial brilliance and that's that! We are not outside flying through Carceri anymore! In this place," Grimm's arms gestured to encompass the totality of Skullrot, "everybody wants to kill us!"
"Grandmother, though I see your point and appreciate your concern for our safety, I must concur with Grimm. Undoubtedly many more foes wait to ambush us and the spell will give us the upper hand in those cases."
Nidrama paused, it was probably useless to argue her case further. She did not seek to battle them just yet, they had not even found Adimarchus.
Kill them, animate the all! They will serve you far better as revenants anyway!
The thought had crossed her mind, but undead had their weaknesses as Noir had aptly shown on multiple occasions. No, this situation called for diplomacy. She placed her arms up, palms outward in a placating gesture, "Very well my friends. If you insist on this course of action, then I must protect myself. Though I am not afraid to die in the course of our mission, I do not want to make it easier on my enemies. And, the fact is, a celestial standing in a celestial brilliance will be the first target for all the fiends here. So, allow me to disguise myself."
Her feathered wings changed to bat-like ones as her size and muscle mass increased to a great degree. A forked tail sprouted from her backside as her skin turned deep red with claws and teeth dripping with vile poison to match.
A Pit Fiend! She shapechanged into a Pit Fiend, the greatest of the devils!
Houshang's thoughts were mixed with jealousy and fear, mostly the former. Though he knew some celestials had the ability to change forms, they could never assume the form of a creature with greater power than they. And what a world of difference between a mere Movanic Deva and the undisputed masters of the Nine Hells!
Amid the shocked expressions of the Bright Axes, Nidrama continued, "As the fiends we are likely to face, I will still be damaged by the celestial brilliance for my very flesh is now infernal. However, there is a solution for that."
Gesturing, shadowy black tendrils appeared around her cloaking her body in a cloud of darkness.
"G-g-g-grandmother! That is a damning darkness spell, as vile as the celestial brilliance is exalted! How can you, a deva, do such a thing?"
"I am not of the Choir any longer. By allying myself with you and defying their will, my very nature has changed. I am not evil, to be sure, but no longer am I good."
Grimm's fingers twitched as he bounced his spiked chain in his hands. This whole thing had not been right from the start. So many had betrayed them, not the least of which was Kaurophon.
"Planar Champion, I sense hostility in you. Know that I have made sacrifices to make this trip to Carceri with the Bright Axes. I have had to cut corners, bend my former ethos, find new powers to replace the ones I lost. Let not my unconventional methods deter you from our true goal, the destruction of Adimarchus."
Her words were soothing, placating. His distrust was still there but his rage slowly seeped away. "Come, let us cast the brilliance and move onward, we have wasted enough time here!"
---------------------------------------------
Before they could leave the laboratory, a strange droning sound filled the chamber.
"It's coming from over there," Tilly moved quietly to a nearby door pressing his ear against it as the sound increased to a crescendo.
Removing his lock picks, he easily flipped the lock and threw open the door.
As the droning became ever louder, a demonic insect with human hands stood to greet them. The droning was supposed to be doing something Tilly suspected, but none among the Bright Axes was affected.
Before they had left Harrowfell, they had each obtained a mind blank effect from a powerful artifact that Byalaka had squirreled away in the upper reaches of her castle.
As Ike and Kiko rushed to engage the creature, a thin green disintegrate ray followed them from Houshang, though failing to take out the chasme.
Speaking in a weirdly alluring voice, the demon addressed them, "Leave Skullrot now fools lest it slay you forthwith." As if to accentuate the point, its own body began to glow with a jet black unholy aura.
Sliding underneath Kiko's mammoth legs, Tilly stabbed the creature from underneath as he continued to slide away from its reach. Ike followed suite, trying to hammer it into submission as he felt his own strength draining. However, it was a whip from a familiar spiked chain that finished off the hopelessly outmatched chasme.
---------------------------------------------
Realizing that the object of their quest was likely upwards, the party began to ascend the winding staircase to reach the balcony. As they moved around the final corner, they ran straight into another mammoth golem with another one on a balcony directly across from them. In the distance, stood a gray muscled humanoid down a hallway surrounded by familiar cells.
The combined might of Ike, Tilly, and Grimm took down the first golem quickly as Gunther, Dalthon, and Houshang imbued their fellows with the power to fly.
Smirking, Slouva moved to open the nearest door. Since she had inhabited Skullrot, the hag knew well that Melchom had been here the longest. Though many "wardens" liked to torment their mad prisoners, this particular door was always left untouched.
She decided that his time served was enough, parole was probably in order.
Slouva tore the lock off the door with her powerful claws and kicked the door open.
Moving slowly at first, and then picking up the pace as he neared the lab, Ike looked uncharacteristically worried. As a goliath, few things frightened him, but what he experienced in Skullrot prior to his resurrection was nothing short of mind-numbingly horrific.
Walking into the room, everything fit, memories flooded back to him. The racks, the vats filled with body parts, the vials of acid, the rusted scalpel and in the shadows, appearing as a mountain of stitched together flesh stood two huge humanoid-like creatures. Ike approached with trepidation until he caught a glimpse of himself staring back. A picture of agony, his face was sewed onto one of the golems, its visage paralyzed in an expression of unimaginable pain. Suddenly, the fear left and the rage returned to him once more.
"You bastards! You stole my face!!! I"LL KILL YOU!!!!!!"
His warhammer caused a sickening squishing sound as it pounded against rotted flesh. Responding to the aggression, the golems animated and began similarly slamming their fists into the battle rager – he hardly noticed.
A rush of cold air, followed by the tinkling sound of water vapor freezing manifested high above Ike as Houshang's cone of cold enveloped the golems, slowing their movements significantly. Next came Tilly and Kiko who continued to pound upon the golem that Ike had engaged. Grimm's spiked chain then finished the creature off, bisecting it at the torso – then using the inertia to dig his weapon deep into the second one.
As a giant, Kiko was almost as tall as the construct he faced. Almost effortlessly, his arms moved to intercept all the golems seemingly clumsy strikes. These parries were followed by a masterful riposte into the creature's belly causing it to double over. Ike ran up and smashed it in the head with all his might, as it stopped moving forever.
Still hyperventilating, Ike could hardly contain himself, "Those bastards . . . they beat me . . . tortured me . . . but I would never talk. Then they ripped off my skin! THEY MUST DIE!!"
He continued to bash the prone, inanimate piles of flesh until the Bright Axes managed to pull him away. It seemed that the insanity that pervaded this asylum was beginning to slowly affect them.
---------------------------------------------
Slouva had thoroughly enjoyed the display. It was indeed unheard of to have one of their stitched victims return to view their own corpse. Frankly, she would have thought he would be glad to see that his useless face had gone to make something greater.
As she slid back into the shadows in the balcony, Lriznisith glided effortlessly yet quietly towards the interlopers. The chasme was weak and it would provide the hor'd'oeuvres and she the main course.
Dark Myrakul must not have all the fun.
---------------------------------------------
"Look, deva, we are going to put up the celestial brilliance and that's that! We are not outside flying through Carceri anymore! In this place," Grimm's arms gestured to encompass the totality of Skullrot, "everybody wants to kill us!"
"Grandmother, though I see your point and appreciate your concern for our safety, I must concur with Grimm. Undoubtedly many more foes wait to ambush us and the spell will give us the upper hand in those cases."
Nidrama paused, it was probably useless to argue her case further. She did not seek to battle them just yet, they had not even found Adimarchus.
Kill them, animate the all! They will serve you far better as revenants anyway!
The thought had crossed her mind, but undead had their weaknesses as Noir had aptly shown on multiple occasions. No, this situation called for diplomacy. She placed her arms up, palms outward in a placating gesture, "Very well my friends. If you insist on this course of action, then I must protect myself. Though I am not afraid to die in the course of our mission, I do not want to make it easier on my enemies. And, the fact is, a celestial standing in a celestial brilliance will be the first target for all the fiends here. So, allow me to disguise myself."
Her feathered wings changed to bat-like ones as her size and muscle mass increased to a great degree. A forked tail sprouted from her backside as her skin turned deep red with claws and teeth dripping with vile poison to match.
A Pit Fiend! She shapechanged into a Pit Fiend, the greatest of the devils!
Houshang's thoughts were mixed with jealousy and fear, mostly the former. Though he knew some celestials had the ability to change forms, they could never assume the form of a creature with greater power than they. And what a world of difference between a mere Movanic Deva and the undisputed masters of the Nine Hells!
Amid the shocked expressions of the Bright Axes, Nidrama continued, "As the fiends we are likely to face, I will still be damaged by the celestial brilliance for my very flesh is now infernal. However, there is a solution for that."
Gesturing, shadowy black tendrils appeared around her cloaking her body in a cloud of darkness.
"G-g-g-grandmother! That is a damning darkness spell, as vile as the celestial brilliance is exalted! How can you, a deva, do such a thing?"
"I am not of the Choir any longer. By allying myself with you and defying their will, my very nature has changed. I am not evil, to be sure, but no longer am I good."
Grimm's fingers twitched as he bounced his spiked chain in his hands. This whole thing had not been right from the start. So many had betrayed them, not the least of which was Kaurophon.
"Planar Champion, I sense hostility in you. Know that I have made sacrifices to make this trip to Carceri with the Bright Axes. I have had to cut corners, bend my former ethos, find new powers to replace the ones I lost. Let not my unconventional methods deter you from our true goal, the destruction of Adimarchus."
Her words were soothing, placating. His distrust was still there but his rage slowly seeped away. "Come, let us cast the brilliance and move onward, we have wasted enough time here!"
---------------------------------------------
Before they could leave the laboratory, a strange droning sound filled the chamber.
"It's coming from over there," Tilly moved quietly to a nearby door pressing his ear against it as the sound increased to a crescendo.
Removing his lock picks, he easily flipped the lock and threw open the door.
As the droning became ever louder, a demonic insect with human hands stood to greet them. The droning was supposed to be doing something Tilly suspected, but none among the Bright Axes was affected.
Before they had left Harrowfell, they had each obtained a mind blank effect from a powerful artifact that Byalaka had squirreled away in the upper reaches of her castle.
As Ike and Kiko rushed to engage the creature, a thin green disintegrate ray followed them from Houshang, though failing to take out the chasme.
Speaking in a weirdly alluring voice, the demon addressed them, "Leave Skullrot now fools lest it slay you forthwith." As if to accentuate the point, its own body began to glow with a jet black unholy aura.
Sliding underneath Kiko's mammoth legs, Tilly stabbed the creature from underneath as he continued to slide away from its reach. Ike followed suite, trying to hammer it into submission as he felt his own strength draining. However, it was a whip from a familiar spiked chain that finished off the hopelessly outmatched chasme.
---------------------------------------------
Realizing that the object of their quest was likely upwards, the party began to ascend the winding staircase to reach the balcony. As they moved around the final corner, they ran straight into another mammoth golem with another one on a balcony directly across from them. In the distance, stood a gray muscled humanoid down a hallway surrounded by familiar cells.
The combined might of Ike, Tilly, and Grimm took down the first golem quickly as Gunther, Dalthon, and Houshang imbued their fellows with the power to fly.
Smirking, Slouva moved to open the nearest door. Since she had inhabited Skullrot, the hag knew well that Melchom had been here the longest. Though many "wardens" liked to torment their mad prisoners, this particular door was always left untouched.
She decided that his time served was enough, parole was probably in order.
Slouva tore the lock off the door with her powerful claws and kicked the door open.
Last edited:
Neverwinter Knight
First Post
Woha, who is being invited to the party? An insane fallen celestial? I knew the group would not have a very difficult time on the first levels of Skullrott.
That was great storytelling with Ike & his former face. But more than that I continue to enjoy "your Nidrama" and the thoughts & jealousy of Houshang.
You're really building up to a grand final on all fronts - please keep it up, gfunk!
That was great storytelling with Ike & his former face. But more than that I continue to enjoy "your Nidrama" and the thoughts & jealousy of Houshang.
You're really building up to a grand final on all fronts - please keep it up, gfunk!
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