Carnifex's Story Hour (Updated January 20th, "The Union")


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Hrm, not sure

I guess I was presumptuous to suggest that I knew what Ebri is... What she's like, I guess, is something that's a little more evident. I think she's going to be a sort of patron to the group- a guiding hand like Immar is to her. Oracle, counsel, she's spending a lot of time learning or exploring, but that's not to say she doesn't seek to influence things a bit. I don't think she's manipulative like one could imagine an Aes Sedai, for example, but I wouldn't be surprised if events come up where she feels she knows what is best for us better then we do.
Huge forces are afoot, and the nature of this game is that we couldn't hope to fully identify, much less take on the forces that are in conflict. Ebri (whatever she is) and her superiors aren't directly involved, any more than they are DIRECTLY involved in anything. But like Wolf guides us through the wilderness, Ebri is going to be our guide in a bigger world we don't know about.
I imagine Ebri is Lvl1Priest,2Monk, although I think of her as an ass-kicking bard (though not that class), for though she doesn't sing songs, her independant travelling and collection of knowledge puts her in a position to influence and learn. Queen's advisor, rather than the queen herself, to use an illustration. This illustration only goes so far, though, because Ebri wouldn't tie herself to one person or specific cause. I have no reason to believe that she is anything but human, and I don't think she'd be classified as 'angelic' or 'demonic', as I consider those things to be the spiritual knights of good and evil. Immar has protectors and guides, not champions or zealots, in my imagination.
She knows and distrusts the shadows, but evidently doesn't have any kind of agenda for or against them. Observer, subtle advisor. Tell me, Siduri (the screen name of the player who plays Ebri), is this a type of role that you've wanted to play for a while? How well would Ebri's advice and greater wisdom be reminiscent of a certain character, Siduri, from the Epic of Gilgamesh? Wise, concerned, involved, but ultimately detached from any particular ambition... just wanna help people along their way? Or am I just grasping at straws?
Important part is that right now she and Immar aren't allies or enemies with the shadows... I wonder if she knows to be interested in Burl... I wonder what Immar would think about Carthagians teaming with flame guildsmen and cryomancers, making smart orcs for their dastardly deeds... I wonder how the shadows are involved... I bet silly Ebri could tell us lotsa interesting stuff about this, but she won't =)
 
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Just wanted to say, Stinky--"Bus' out the mellows" was a fabulous post. And I think you just coined a new phrase. Man, Kale was so freaked out he just busted out his mellows. :D
 

The Death Squad

Wolf, Burl, Wyshira and Kale disembark from the vessel onto the waterfront docks of Halstath. The town lies on the northern shores of the Sapphire lake, a large body of inland water, and the walled settlement is built on a hill slope laeding down to the waters edge. The narrow, winding lanes lead up towards the fortress at the northernmost point, from which the banners of the Irilson family - a silver dragon rampant on azure blue background - can be seen fluttering.

They split up. Wolf and Kale go searching for transport that might carry them towards their destination, Burl goes shopping for spell components and food for his familiar, and Wyshira heads out of the town to fins a secluded spot by the waters edge, surrounded by trees. There, the priestess slips into the water and goes swimming, revelling in the experience. For all her affinity for water, she's never had a chance to swim in a lake like this, and darts around under water near the shore, avidly looking at what lies under the surface. Practicality warns her to bring a javelin with her though, just in case.

While out there, she sees something - must be about her size - knifing through the water parallel to the shore, towards Halstath. She gives chase, curiously, but it quickly outdistances her and she gives up, going back to the shore and then returning to the town.

Kale and Wolf's search proves largely fruitless, and it looks like they're going to have to travel over the lands between Corinthia and southern Adbar on foot. Although the group has arranged a meeting place - the Solar Lion inn - for later, the two go looking for Burl since they know he's in the markets somewhere.

It's market day in Halstath and the busy port town is bustling with activity, the narrow streets full of vendors, stalls and goods. Burl is wandering around the stalls, looking at things that catch his interest while he buys the essentials he needs.

Then a gauntleted hand clamps down on his shoulder.

Turning, he finds himself facing a hulking man in full, spiked armour of black and red hue, bracers and shoulder-plates studded with blades and a crossed axe motif on his chestplate. From within the closed helm eyes bore into Burl, as he questions the necromancer, quickly revealing he knows who the wizard is. What he wants with him remains a mystery as yet, for it is at this point that Wolf and Kale appear. Wolf closes quickly to go to Burl's aid, while Kale hangs back - he recognises the motif as one of the holy emblems of the Carthagian god Toran - just what they need right now, a Carthagian priest causing problems. Seeing the approaching Wolf, the priest grapples Burl with one arm and draws a dagger with the other, bringing it to the wizards throat.

Then a grapnel sails through the air, snagging on the armour's multitude of blades and spikes. Kale has already tied the other end to a nearby cart, and gives the horse attached a slap on the rump. It tears off down the street, cart in tow.

There's a moment as the rope goes taught, and suddenly the priest is wrenched off his feet, bouncing and tumbling down the street after the errant cart, Burl slipping from his grasp.

The other two question Burl about why the hell a Toranite would be interested in him, but he protests that he genuinely has no idea, so they head to the Solar Lion tavern to meet with Wyshira. After filling her in on what happened, they all quiz Burl and he reveals what happened at the village of Irlain and tells them of his early life; he doesn't tell them about Tewlcroghen though, keeping that secret.

Then the door shatters into splinters, and hulking armoured forms smash their way in.

It's the Toranite priest, battlemace in hand. This time, he's brought a death squad with him.

More to come...
 
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The Toranites fan out into the room; the big, burly form of the armoured priest they had encountered earlier, the more slender form of a red-armoured woman, and three plate-clad zealots wielding battleaxes and flails. They issue a demand for Burl as they smash up some of the furniture and the other customers in the tavern scurry out, and the party leaps into action. Kale approaches the foe as if to talk but then hurls his beer mug at the helm of one of the zealots, surprising him and sending him reeling; Wolf quickly draws his sword, Burl runs up the stairs to the first floor of the inn, and Wyshira moves onto the stairs to block anyone moving after him.

Faster than Kale thought the man could move, the male priest grabs the mercenary in one gauntleted hand round his neck, and picks him clear off the floor; Kale dangles there, barbed gauntlet biting into his neck and doing severe damage. Desperately fumbling in a pouch, he finally pulls out the vial of fluoric acid that he had purchased off Garadas the alchemist, and flings it in the mans face. Some hisses as it corrodes into the war helm but some sloshes through the visor onto the Toranites concealed face, and he lashes out, letting Kale go and throwing him several feet to land in a pile of smashed furniture. As the cleric stumbles about, the armoured woman runs up and mutters a spell to heal him; he hruls threats at Kale, but from the gurgling sound of his voice and the threads of foul slime dirbbling out of his helmet, the acid has still done some serious damage.

Wyshira has charged down from the stairs to aid Kale but is intercepted by one of the zealots and wounded by his flail. In return, a quick cause fear spell sens him running as she takes on the fearsome storm aspect of her goddess. Burl comes back down the stairs, but when his daze spell proves unable to make the armoured priest even flinch he runs back up, narrowly avoiding a chair hurled at him by the woman in a surge of strength. Upstairs, he runs about trying to find an exit out, and decides to try and cause confusion by telling the remaining occupants of rooms up there that a fire has broken out down below.

In the taproom, Wolf leaps across tables to battle the other two zealots. One injures him, but then in a confusing display of swordplay he hooks the battleaze of one of his opponents out of their hands - and into his! As he proceeds to bury the weapon back in the chest of its owner, Kale flanks the other warrior and with his acidic brine blade they finish him off before the priest reaches them.

Seeing the battle is lost, the female priest advises her leader to retreat, and he reluctantly does so, hurling some last few threats at Kale as he goes. The four are left in the devastated taproom where barely a single piece of furniture has survived intact, and as onlookers begin to arrive it seems time to scarper, especially when Wolf mentions that the protector of the town is a powerful Flame Guildsman of Warlock rank. They flee into the streets, but unsure of exactly what the hell they're up against here, they don't know if the gate guards will be waiting to stop them. As it is, they pass out of the town into the night without incident, fleeing to the secluded spot which Wyshira had found earlier with the intention to spend the night there.
 


Piratecat said:
Whoo hoo! This is GREAT. Everyone loves armored death squads!

:) 'cept old Kale, still nursing his throat :)

Wow. I'm slightly awed to have had Piratecat post on my story hour thread. *bows to the almighty DM of the Defenders of Daybreak campaign*

On a sadder note, I'm afraid I'm having to announce that the player of Sandslipper is leaving the campaign. She's been really ill from flu, which was bad enough, but then she also had an infection in her blood stream. She ended up in a pretty bad way, and while she is now recovering, she's still weak and no longer has enough time to devote to the game and her character, so I'm sure you'll all join with me in wishing her a good future and to get well.
 

Cavern Company: The Fire Serpent

The small band of four women and one man finally decide to move on out of the tomb complex after Ebri's attempt to see what is within the sarcophagi through meditation brings no results. Moving out of the tombs they enter what seems to be more natural tunnel...

...after hours of walking, the band finds itself in a huge cavern filled with massive stalagtites and stalagmites, and riddled with exits out. The problem is that only Melisande and Sandslipper have darkvision, and for everyone else the place is pitch black. They're also operating with no sense of direction, being thoroughly lost. Somewhat dispirited, they try and decide on a course of action.

Then they feel it. A faint tremoring, vibrations running through the ground as a low growling sound begins to become audible. More than a little worried, they hurry into the cavern, and into the kobold ambush.

When the human members of the party see the first firebomb arcing through the air towards them, touchpaper lit, they overjoyedly think it might be light coming in from a way to the surface. Of course they're pretty quickly disillusioned, and more vials come flying through the air, accompanied by a fusillade of little smokesticks that belch out clouds of stinging smoke. Melisande can see the kobolds have swarmed out from behind the rock formations they were using as cover, and are still a fair way away; at this distance they only manage to spatter a few party members with alchemists fire and achieve no direct hits. Nonetheless, the bombardment makes it difficult going, with patches of blazing fluid on the ground and vision clogged by smoke. Amidst the oncoming rush of kobold warriors Melisande can make out their leader, the cleric Asak, capering around and waving a short rod - this must be the Fire Serpent rod...

... and as the cleric waves it and mutters an incantation, something stirs in the patch of alchemists fire burning by Sebastion. Within in it, a shape is forming...

They retreat back to the mouth of the tunnel entrance they'd entered by, still suffering from continued alchemist fire vials and taking fair damage. As they back away, from within the fire, a large serpent seemingly made of red-hot ash and blazing with flame slides sinuously after them. Rallying to hold their ground at the tunnel entrance, the party strikes out at the fiery thing pursuing them, and in one swift round of accurate attacks dispatch it; the snake crumbles into fine ash.

They prepare to meet the kobold charge as Asak casts spells over his warriors. The vibrations have increased greatly now, and suddenly, with a roar, what looks like a toothed cone of metal turning at insane speed pushes into the tunnel behind them from through the wall...

In an attempt to stave off the oncoming kobolds, Melisande tries to play on their fears, since she knows - from the mimir - that Asak regularly leads parties to appease the spirits of the tombs through prayer. Using <i>change self</i> to turn her skin completely black she starts speaking in both draconic and drakkath about how the shadow warriors are angry and the kobolds must give offerings to appease them; some of the kobolds falter at the draconic, but more noticeably Asak reacts to her words in drakkath. The cleric is surprised, then fearful, then angry, and urges his warriors on.

Behind them the massive drill pushes all the way into the tunnel, and reveals that behind it is some sort of machine, all struts and engine driven by a goggled kobodl engineer and with a 'gunner' on top - a kobold pivoting round a heavy crossbow on a pintel mount to fire at the party. Things look bad, with the band being caught on bothsides by foes, and as the first wave of kobolds crash against them Ebri asks the mimir if it can tell them how to defeat the machine. Sadly the floating skull has nno such information recorded on it, and her attention is brought back to the brutal melee that has erupted.

Blows are traded on both sides, party members injured and kobolds cut down as Melisande continues to try and terrorise the foe through her magic. Behind them, Meg'anna splits off to attack the drilling machine, convinced it is some sort of iron elemental that the kobolds have taken control of. Scrambling up onto it as the driver turns it to run down the party, the druidess attacks the gunner, quickly killing him when he misses her with the crossbow. Panicking, the driver turns the machine back round to drill into the other tunnel wall, hoping to force the druidess off as she tries to reach him with her spear.

In the midst of the melee, Asak pushes towards Melisande, apparently intent on slaying her. For Sebastion, all that he can see in front of him in the ruddy light of the alchemical fires is a mass of kobolds, and a chance strike cuts the cleric down in mid stride. Having lost their leader, the diminuitive gremlins flee in terror, while behind the party Meg'anna rolls off the machine as it tears into the cavern wall, forging a new tunnel - this one as an escape, for the driver has seen the defeat of Asak's tribe.

A quick check over the bodies shows up remaining alchemical items, the strange 'Fire Serpent Rod' that Asak was wielding - engraved with serpent and flame designs - and a small amount of silver coins. Then, using a breeze of fresh air coming from one of the multitude of tunnels leading out of the cavern as a guide, they exit, after several hours breaking out into the cool dark of night.

Now they realise a new problem. Exhausted, wet and cold, they cannot afford to light a camp fire nor stay at the surface entrance, for fear of both kobolds and dreadspawn. The tired band trudges on into the night...
 


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