Against the Shadows VII - A Faded Glory Story Hour (Re-Updated - 5/17)

[Tortoise]

Rel,

I will let Tortoise answer directly if he is so inclined, but from my perspective, I had let a couple of hints drop...

(1) The green/brown clad gnolls had shadowed them on both their trip to and from Oar, without attacking. Of course, the paranoia inspired by hard-bitten gnoll woodsmen running around your flanks and rear with huge, slavering wolves was fun...fun for ME that is !

(2) They didn't attack immediately (like every other gnoll band they have run into). It did take a big set to walk out there alone, however, since for all Rowan/Tortoise knew, they were just another, allbeit rival, gnoll band to Skilorn.

Not only did he essentially negotiate a truce with his 1st favored enemy, he also was able to get them to do the caravan and, indirectly, the party a favor by slowing down Ned Galway's crew.

~ Old One

While the hints were there it was definitely a gamble. As a player I was thinking something like this " Phil likes to keep us guessing, but he likewise likes to give us character growth opportunities. How we handle these determines how his NPC's act, therefore this could be a boon or a boondoggle. I also clearly saw this as a chance for Rowan to shine/grow. "

The trip to and from Oar made it obvious that these gnolls operated differently from their northern kin, but that didn't make them instant nice guys, just more cautious, better prepared, and judging by the sharply formed lines and the leashed war wolves, capable of deadly organization.

I figured we were far too outnumbered for this to be planned as a fight unless we got stupid. If we let them come to us they would set all the terms for what was coming. If we took some initiative it might break up the routine and give us a chance to find the "out" we perceived was needed.

Some in-character thoughts:

"Either they've been called to help the other gnolls or they're here to fight the other gnolls. I really hope the latter."

"Maybe if we show them we're willing to go down fighting and show them we've already handed the other gnolls a bloody defeat they'll hesitate and reconsider, not knowing just how much fight we have left in us. I hope I can pull off this bluff or we're done."

"Wait ... that symbol on his armor ... it's a slight variation on one of Corelian's marks ... gnolls worshipping the light? What're the chances of that?"

One thing lead to another and the discussion went from "Is Skilorn dead?" to "We have seen you, walker in the forests, do we have your promise that the others will do no harm ... ?" to "We will send a wolf to the ridgeline to howl three times if we agree to your plan for the other caravan.You may take your horses and return to your companions."

Ah, the visual of Rowan leading the horses back to camp from amid an army of gnolls, unharmed.

The wolf came, and the rest is history. Poor Ned, I hope he soiled his breeches when these gnolls and their big bad wolves harrassed his theiving brigands all the way to the river staying just out of harms reach the whole time.

Oh how bigotry falls aside in the face of unexpected realities.

As a player I'm now looking for a chance for Rowan to go south and study with these gnolls a bit and then convince them to send help further north to help with *spoiler*.

Can you tell I had a blast with that session as a player? Awesome stuff. Old One can really weave character developement into the campaign very well. I'm OK as a roleplayer (not great, just OK), but I have been able to throw myself into this role deep at times. That session was one of those golden moments.

 

[Tormenet]

Rowan will be standing shoulder to shoulder with Cragen when it comes time to deliver that whoopin to the corrupt church officials in Oar.

I think I need a stout oaken cudgel to break over their adled pates ... proscribe my faith ... indeed!

Quintus is in.

I'm not sure if I pointed this out to the annoying chruchmen (I think I did), but their Berylian Edicts sound alot like the Shadowlord's philosophy.

From the Faded Glory intro:
"The Race War came fast on the heels of the Shadow-Plague and the humans of Emor turned upon the gnomes, dwarves, halflings and elves that had been their fellow citizens for centuries. Emperor Narses III persecuted the Elder Folk for ten winters before revealing himself to be the Shadowlord – the Avatar of Azrael-Arhiman – and great horrors followed."

Quintus likes Moradin. Osirion provided Lew, who was alot tense for Q's taste. Way too black and white. Moradin, on the other hand, brought Sextus back from the dead.

Tormenet

 

[Tormenet]

Edit: double post.

 

[Tormenet]

Hey, any of you other players have anything to chime in on how the campaign has worked for or against your original character conceptions/plans?

Easy. My original character conception is dried dire rat feces at this point.

After Garrick's passing I created Quintus so fast I had no clue how to play him. I did like that Steve, whose character Marcus had also just died, and I decided to make our new PC's brothers. That's been fun.

I planned to play Quintus as supicious of Osirion. Being forced to enter the mine to support his family left him with a slim opinion of good dieties. The bit with Sextus being brought back to life certainly affects Quintus' direction.

Tormenet

 

[Darklone]

Page 2? Already?

Bompo.

Guess Roses char conception is still dead on? ("Me bash foes. Grind them to paste and chew them. Me strong.")

 

[Old One]

Interlude

Greetings Gang,

Thanks to Darklone for the *Bump* and thanks to Rowan (Tortoise) and Quintus (Tormenet) for stopping in. The following is the Interlude I post on our Yahoo!Groups after Session 22. The cursing of the DM was long and loud !

The Long Trip Home…

Spirits were high after the rescue of the trading caravan, peaceful contact with potential gnoll allies and the survival (if barely) of all party members. Even the insufferable Junior Tribune Lucius proved to be a valuable asset in battle and has been a bit less obnoxious since. The rest of the trip back to Glynden was rather anti-climactic…no ambushes, pitched battles or other untoward events. That all changed the eve of your last bivouac prior to reaching town…

Rowan called an early halt, since immense black thunderheads were building to the North and a chill wind was blowing…quite odd for summer, even in the Lost Northern Provinces. Barely was camp made before a fierce storm descended. Your ears and eyes were assaulted by thunder and lightning. Sleep came fitfully and with it, nightmares. Röse dreamed of his young son screaming in pain…the Scipio brothers saw the agonized faces of their youngest siblings blanched in terror…Rowan was haunted by the ghostly visages of his dead friends, Marcus Tiro and Garrick, who tried to speak to him, to convey some manner of warning before turning into fearsome spirits.

Dread and unease were your companions upon awakening and a terrible, unknown fear either pulled, or drove you, towards Glynden. Cragen and the Emorians seemed unaffected by the night terrors, but they too shared the gnawing, nameless fear.

You arrived to find the town in an uproar…

At the height of the storm, when the Abbey bell chimed the midnight hour, two figures appeared at the town gate. Clothed in crackling black energy, they smote the gate guard with fearsome dark magics and strode into town. Fear flowed before them and most folk shuttered their windows, bolted their doors and quaked before their hearths. The pair made for the burial catacombs and disappeared within. The ground rumbled and shook, either from foul magic or the anger of the storm.

Kyndalyn, Father Thomas and others gathered to confront the dark ones.

The pair reappeared a scant hour after descending into the catacombs and an army of walking dead strode in their wake. Father Thomas called upon the Lightbringer to aid them, but the power of the dark magic was too much. Crackling beams of blackness smote the priest, laying him low and scattering the rest of the defenders. The unnatural horde swept through Glynden, battering their way through shuttered windows and barred doors. They tore every child of less than seven winters from the grasp of terrified mothers and fathers that resisted in vain.

Those that opposed the dark ones and the undead were cast aside, some dead and others witless and senseless. The Abbey bell did not call the 2nd hour after midnight, for the bell ringer lay in a crumpled heap, lifeless face drawn in a rictus of horror. The horde and their struggling, weeping charges swept out the ruined gate and disappeared into the teeth of the storm. The morn found virtually every family in Glynden riven by death or kidnapping. Kyndalyn managed to rally a few brave souls and set out on the trail of the unholy army. Father Thomas lay in the Abbey infirmary, barely clinging to life and tended by shaking acolytes. Militiamen moved about, half-heartedly attempting to repair the sundered gates.

Above all, the wailing of mothers rose above the wreck of the town, lamenting the loss of their children.

Welcome home…

~ Old One

PS - This will probably be it for updates for a week or so. I head out tomorrow for an extended business trip that, happily, includes a guest spot at Pkitty's table on Thursday evening. I aslo plan on participating in the SH author's chat on Wednesday evening, although I will be late.

Feel free to talk amongst yourselves while I am gone !

 

[Lela]

*Jaw drops*

 

[Rose]

Changing View of the World

As Rosë has traveled and grown in this campaign he has had experiences that have changed his perceptions of the world greatly.

When he first met the party he was young and brash and unaware of the many complexities of the world and interactions between so many forces of good, evil, right, might, etc.

Many events.... the death of his love... the learning of his son... the ascent of Lew and the death and rising of Sextus.. the discovery of a dwarf.. the infernal politics of cities.. SEWERS.. the trip to deathsgate... have all contributed to his 'education' of worldly workings and he is starting to become less chaotic.

He will never truly outgrow his Barbarian heritage. He is and will always be at heart a Brigante, even though they disowned him. He also feels a kinship to the Emorian empire because of his Father. He is starting to believe that sometimes you must compromise to advance.

He has been in a state of confusion for quite some time about what he should do with his life.

Recently he met a slight woman who realigned his perceptions. He has decided that he must find her again and begin the next leg of the great journey that is his life and his destiny. Yes he knows he has a great destiny. He will seek it out since it has not sought him out yet.

He is at a point in his skills and physical stature that he is becoming a true master of battle and has seen from his companions and the enemies they have smote that there is more to battle and combat than just picking up a sword and lopping off heads. He must learn at the hands of a master.

Rosë is a fun character to play and most of his side comments never make the board here. He usually doesn't say something unless it will make a point.. needless to say his points made are either very sharp or very dull (witless).

Rosë Gordius of the Brigantes

 

[Tortoise]

*Jaw drops*

Exactly. Couldn't have described the reaction better.

 

[Rel]

!!