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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Manbearcat" data-source="post: 9447338" data-attributes="member: 6696971">Vignette continued from above between myself and [USER=7028554]@Grendel_Khan[/USER] :As Lief and the thicket of soldiers enclose upon him a hair's breadth from successful escape, ARMOS KAMROTH refuses to accept what has happened.  He believes himself above this, beyond this, likely unkillable.  I think he would go all Ben Kenobi and "if you strike me down, I'll become more powerful than you can imagine...your people...your stupid, stupid people will deem me a martyr...cement my legacy...and venerate me in death...so sure that I will return to lead them into their promised world...and...perhaps I will?"He would force you to savage him to death...utterly in contempt of even the notion that you have it in you to spare him...to see this thing done not by your hand.[HR][/HR]Yeah I can’t imagine Lief not killing him for that. The stag might have normally gotten into his head here, but it’s still wounded. LIEF bows a little. “Then I give you the gift of legacy” and tears his throat out.[HR][/HR]We get a side shot of Lief after the deed is done.The STAG comes into the foreground next to him with Lief still looking ahead and beyond.The Stag moves to the ruined body of Kamroth and tears his spirit from his flesh...dragging its protesting incorporealness through the door of the receiving hall...never to be heard from again.[HR][/HR]DENOUMENT* Terjon stays in Winterhaven to rebuild the faith of Pelor among the people there.  Perhaps at some point the old priest will again take up the mantle of Questing Knight, but that day is not today.* Starn mounts Hat Eater and returns to Fallcrest with select tomes and the temporary aid of Velthrun's professional researcher, Kira, who will stay in the Septarch’s Tower during the resolution of investigating and understanding this Pelorian Heresy regarding Nentir Vale's Sun God and his lost to time celestial brother and Elder Evil of the Far Realm; Acamar, the Maw.Upon Starn's return he notes Nimozaran's convalescence is fully resolved but the old wizard is still acting weird as hell. Like Alien vibes here.  Like the Pelorian (Acamar) Heresy is an infection that needs to be "cut out."Starn will set his mind to the project of upgrading Rooter (Defender Companion Character) while Kira researches more into this chronic possession symptoms that Nimozaran is suffering from.* With the promised Mogul of The Elect unmasked and slain...with that immediate situation behind him, Lief's mind wanders to "what exactly is this stag, this totemic ally?"* Vorn the Redfletch sets about the early stages of reconnoitering his next targets; the tiefling family of House Azaer and specifically Ferlin Azaer and his potential dealings with the former agents and spies that Cardinal Erban had embedded in Winterhaven.  Furthermore, the rumors of dark forces that led to the razing of Fastormel by the Bloodspear Orcs nearly 100 years ago.  The tower there may have something to do with what happened here?* Lord and Lady Markelhay try to pick up the pieces as "The Kamroth Affair" has led to a governing nightmare with so many deeds, claims, transactions, and debts pending.  Further, there are still sympathizers out there that whisper that what happened to Armos Kamroth was a travesty...murder.* Meanwhile, in the Snowfang Mountains, the shifters of The Elect do not believe their Mogul was actually just a simple mortal.  Not just an extraordinarily manipulative and corrupt landowner and lender in some terrible ironic twist of fate; The Mogul was supposed to deliver The Elect from such trappings of civilization!They continue their predation while Gnaw continues following them...giving passive council through what is believed to be received omen and portent...and the clan yet waits for The Mogul to emerge and lead them to the promised new world.[HR][/HR]BOOKKEEPINGAlright.  Its not clear to me exactly how long this game is going to carry, so in order for the players to get a sense of late Heroic Tier play, I'm asking them to advance their characters to level 8 and re-cement their Quests.  We'll see later if there is any momentum/interest to push to the bigger Region & World implications of Paragon and Cosmology implications of Epic.Once that is done, I'll post them here and we'll begin anew with individual scenes and see where that goes.NEW COMPANION CHARACTERSLIEF still hates the damn stag. He doesn't know why it's tied to him by some unseen umbilical cord snaking into the spirit world—that it makes him vulnerable. He despises that it still won't leave him alone. And on some level, deeper than he'd care to admit, big as it is, strong as it is, he still thinks of it as prey. Pathetic.*But they have an understanding now. The stag obviously doesn't care that Lief is a killer; only who he kills. And the shifter isn't running anymore. He's going to save the Elect or end them, and same for anyone he comes across doing more harm than good. His enemies are the stag's enemies. No more resistance or hesitation—they fight as one. There's no use fighting their connection. Not yet, at least. Until he knows more, including how to be rid of it, or at the very least how to talk to it, they'll be a pack of two. The avenging ascetic and the damn spirit stag.[ATTACH=full]379299[/ATTACH]STARN tinkered endlessly with Rooter, and for a long time had limited success. While the Septarch's Tower has a considerable library, it appears that many of the volumes related to constructs and magical energy systems are missing. Starn continued to exchange letters with Vulthrun, and they gradually worked out that some of the works Starn was interested in had, at one time or another, been copied and existed in the collection at Winterhaven.In a particularly dangerous journey Starn visited Winterhaven, having to avoid a number of shifter patrols, as well as some Bloodspear Orcs. He returned to Fallcrest with a number of precious volumes, but Kira wouldn't hear of them being out of her sight, so Starn was 'forced' to bring her back with him, until such time as the material has been recopied and/or he has gotten what he needed.Kira proved to be quite skilled at understanding the workings of magical automatons, perhaps more so than Starn, who still is more inclined to working with alchemical processes. Between the two of them, that is with Kira fixing Starn's earlier mistakes, they recreated Rooter in its current Companion form. Starn has also found this useful in terms of understanding what might be needed to restore Nimozaran to his right mind. While he is far from understanding the Tower Core and its nature, he feels compelled to try to do so. The unnatural and strange magics used in its construction call to him, and recollect his encounter with the aberrant singularity.[ATTACH=full]378680[/ATTACH][SPOILER="LIEF"]Lief, level 8Razorclaw Shifter, MonkMonastic Tradition: CenteredBackground: Totemic Ally (Insight Associated Skill)Theme: CipherMelee Basic Attack (Unarmed)Atk: +10 vs ACDamage: 1d8+3FINAL ABILITY SCORESStr 13, Con 14, Dex 20, Int 10, Wis 18, Cha 8.DEFENSES/HP/SURGEAC: 25 Fort: 21 Reflex: 21 Will: 20HP: 61 Surges: 9 Surge Value: 15TRAINED SKILLSAcrobatics +18, Athletics +12, Heal +13, Perception +13, Stealth +18UNTRAINED SKILLSArcana +4, Bluff +3, Diplomacy +3, Dungeoneering +8, Endurance +6, History +4, Insight +10, Intimidate +3, Nature +8, Religion +4, Streetwise +3, Thievery +9FEATSLevel 1: Warrior of the Wild (Ranger multiclass)Level 2: Unarmored AgilityLevel 4: Skill Power (Iron Resurgence)Level 6: Great FortitudeLevel 8: Implement ExpertisePOWERSAt-will 1: Crane's WingsAt-will 1: Enter the Lion's DenEncounter 1: Drunken MonkeyDaily 1: Spinning Leopard's StrikeUtility 2: Supreme FlurryEncounter 3: Wind Through the WillowsDaily 5: Water Gives WayUtility 6: Purifying MeditationEncounter 7: Strike the AvalancheITEMS? coin, Adventurer's Kit, Climber's Kit, Thieves' Tools, Sling (20), Emerald Flame Ki Focus +2, Blending Cloth Armor +2, Coif of Mindiron, Lucky Charm +1[/SPOILER]Lief Minor Quest: Find out what the totemic stag is—and how to either become one with or free of it.Lief Minor Quest: Confront the Creep and purge the corruption from it, or else destroy it.Lief Major Quest: Kill the remaining leadership of the Elect, to give the rank-and-file a chance to reject the cult's teachings, or die[SPOILER="STARN"]Starn, level 8Human, WizardImplement Mastery: TomeBackground: Omen "All Birds Left the Area" (Arcana Associated Skill)Theme: Wizard's ApprenticeRanged Basic Attack (Magic Missile)Atk: AutohitDamage: 10 force damageFINAL ABILITY SCORESStr 8, Con 16, Dex 10, Int 22, Wis 10, Cha 11.DEFENSES/HP/SURGEAC: 24 Fort: 21 Reflex: 24 Will: 20HP: 54 Surges: 9 Surge Value: 13TRAINED SKILLSArcana +17, Diplomacy +9, Dungeoneering +9, History +15, Religion +15UNTRAINED SKILLSAcrobatics +4, Athletics +3, Bluff +4, Endurance +7, Heal +4, Insight +4, Intimidate +4, Nature +4, Stealth +4, Streetwise +4, Thievery +4FEATSLevel 1: Tome Expertise, AlchemistLevel 2: Skill Power (Arcane Mutterings)Level 4: Improved DefensesLevel 6: Unarmored AgilityLevel 8: Skill Power (Strategist's Epiphany)POWERSCantrips: Light, Ghost Sound, PrestidigitationAt-will Attack Power 1: Beguiling StrandsAt-will Attack Power 1: Magic MissileAt-will Attack Power 1: Storm PillarEncounter (theme) Attack Power: Color OrbEncounter Attack Power 1: Grasping Shadows, Astral Wasp (Tome)Encounter Attack Power 3: Shock Beetle Swarm, Melting Pool (Tome).Daily Attack Power 1: Rolling Thunder, Summon Dust DevilUtility 2nd: Feather Fall, Summon Shadow SerpentDaily Attack Power (5th): Stinking Cloud, Spellbook Alternate: Summon Abyssal MawUtility 6th: Dimension Door, Spellbook Alternate: Wall of FogSkill Power Utility: Arcane Mutterings, Strategist's EpiphanyEncounter Attack Power 7: Charm of the DefenderRITUAL BOOKAlchemist's Acid, Endure Elements, Hunter's Blessing, Magic Circle, Make Whole, Tenser's Floating Disk, Traveler's CamouflageITEMS? coin, Adventurer's Kit, Ritual Book, Dispelling Tome Implement +2, Lucky Charn +2, Stoneskin Armor +2[/SPOILER]Starn Minor Quest: Find a nice book for Kira.Starn Minor Quest: Find out how to build an Alchemical Launcher for Rooter.Starn Major Quest: Restore Nimozaran to sanity.[SPOILER="VORN"]Vorn Redfletch, level 8Human, Warlord|RangerWarlord Leadership: Battlefront Leader (Hybrid)Hybrid Warlord: Hybrid Warlord WillHybrid Ranger: Hybrid Ranger FortitudeHuman Power Selection: Bonus At-Will PowerBackground: Martial - Local Hero, Occupation - Bounty Hunter (Stealth Associated Skill)Ranged Basic Attack (Bow)Atk: +13 vs ACDamage: 1d10+8 (9 Exp)FINAL ABILITY SCORESStr 11, Con 14, Dex 20, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 10.STARTING ABILITY SCORESStr 11, Con 14, Dex 16, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 10.AC: 24 Fort: 19 Reflex: 21 Will: 20HP: 61 Surges: 8 Surge Value: 15TRAINED SKILLSAthletics +8, Endurance +10, Stealth +15, Intimidate +9, Nature +12, Perception +12, Streetwise +9UNTRAINED SKILLSAcrobatics +8, Arcana +4, Bluff +4, Diplomacy +4, Dungeoneering +7, Heal +7, History +4, Insight +7, Religion +4, Thievery +8FEATSHuman: Hunter's AimLevel 1: Improved InitiativeLevel 2: Weapon Expertise (Bow)Level 4: Weapon Focus (Bow)Level 6: Skill Training (Streetwise)Level 8: Paladin Multiclass Soldier of Virtue (Intimidate)POWERSBonus At-Will Power: Twin StrikeHybrid at-will 1: Direct the StrikeHybrid at-will 1: Nimble StrikeHybrid encounter 1: Vengeance is MineHybrid daily 1: Skirmishing StanceHybrid utility 2: Hunter's PrivilegeHybrid encounter 3: Disruptive StrikeHybrid daily 5: Archery CommanderHybrid utility 6: Invigorating ShoutHybrid encounter 7: Spikes of the ManticoreITEMSAdventurer's Kit, Arrows (30), Delver's Hide Armor +2, Vicious Longbow +2, Boots of Eagerness (heroic tier), Potion of Healing (heroic tier) (2), Floating Lantern (heroic tier) (2), Cloak of Resistance +1[/spoiler]Vorn Minor Quest: Journey to the ruined town of Fastormel was destroyed in The Bloodspear War. Vorn Minor Quest: Starn is young and has only recent exposure to the dangers of the wild.  I will teach him how to hone his survivalist skills during our expedition.Vorn Major Quest:  My connections tell me Fastormel's fall was done at the behest of a dark being who wanted access to the Mistborn Tower. Find and slay this creature and uncover whether its machinations are related to the Pelor Heresy of Acamar and the ruination of Fallcrest's own Towers and the line of Septarchs.</blockquote>

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