Copperheads: Betrayal and Strange Runes and Burning Dead, oh my (short update 02/12)
- Thread starter arwink
- Start date
randomling
First Post
OK. That's it, guys. I'm moving to Brisbane.
Where is the new update? Where?!
Where is the new update? Where?!
arwink
Clockwork Golem
And I'm back. Insert excuses as to why the updates went away here at your leisure. I won't bore you with the real ones 
Tuesday, October 17th
Halgo, Geoffrey and Blarth file out of Y'Dey's office, each of them eager to return to their lodgings and pack for the journey. Yip is still absent, Y'Dey simply explaining that he is on church business, but after weeks spent in grueling training or endless waiting the Copperheads are ready to be on the move once more.
"Bor," Halgo says, eyes gleaming with the very thought of it. "I can't believe they're willing to let us go."
"Yday not make it sound like reward," Blarth grumbles. "Blarth not sure Halgo should be so happy."
"She called it a wild and dangerous land," Halgo grins back. "That just means there's all sorts of opportunity there."
"And any land with that kind of description is sure to full of not-puny challenges," Geoffrey assures the half-orc.
"Blarth guess," Blarth says. "But still have to find Justicar before we go."
"Ex-Justicar," Geoffrey reminds him. "Selandar has gone rogue, it is an affront to the church to call him by his former title."
"Know anything about him?" Halgo asks.
Geoffrey's brow furrows as he dredges up the scraps of rumor and history he's been slaving over for the past few weeks.
"He's a veteran of the Trollmists," Geoffrey says eventually. "One of the lower-ranking commanders who served as a chaplain for an imperial company. Skilled warrior, well respected for his strength and his wisdom before he went rogue."
"Anything else?"
"Not really. Selandar was no different than a half-dozen other justicars in the area. A good man whose been led astray, and taken his servants with him."
"Blarth not want to fight Yip."
"It's not our Yip," Geoffrey reminds him. "It's other Yips. Evil ones."
"How Blarth know difference?"
"You'll know," Halgo says with a grin. "They'll be the ones trying to kill you."
Blarth thinks about this for a few moments.
"That make sense," he says eventually.
"If anyone's got any business to do in town, get it done today," Geoffrey orders. "We leave at first light. If he's still at The Attu Watch, we should stand a good chance of catching up with him."
He doesn't register the exasperated glares that Halgo and Blarth give him.
Tuesday, October 17th
Halgo, Geoffrey and Blarth file out of Y'Dey's office, each of them eager to return to their lodgings and pack for the journey. Yip is still absent, Y'Dey simply explaining that he is on church business, but after weeks spent in grueling training or endless waiting the Copperheads are ready to be on the move once more.
"Bor," Halgo says, eyes gleaming with the very thought of it. "I can't believe they're willing to let us go."
"Yday not make it sound like reward," Blarth grumbles. "Blarth not sure Halgo should be so happy."
"She called it a wild and dangerous land," Halgo grins back. "That just means there's all sorts of opportunity there."
"And any land with that kind of description is sure to full of not-puny challenges," Geoffrey assures the half-orc.
"Blarth guess," Blarth says. "But still have to find Justicar before we go."
"Ex-Justicar," Geoffrey reminds him. "Selandar has gone rogue, it is an affront to the church to call him by his former title."
"Know anything about him?" Halgo asks.
Geoffrey's brow furrows as he dredges up the scraps of rumor and history he's been slaving over for the past few weeks.
"He's a veteran of the Trollmists," Geoffrey says eventually. "One of the lower-ranking commanders who served as a chaplain for an imperial company. Skilled warrior, well respected for his strength and his wisdom before he went rogue."
"Anything else?"
"Not really. Selandar was no different than a half-dozen other justicars in the area. A good man whose been led astray, and taken his servants with him."
"Blarth not want to fight Yip."
"It's not our Yip," Geoffrey reminds him. "It's other Yips. Evil ones."
"How Blarth know difference?"
"You'll know," Halgo says with a grin. "They'll be the ones trying to kill you."
Blarth thinks about this for a few moments.
"That make sense," he says eventually.
"If anyone's got any business to do in town, get it done today," Geoffrey orders. "We leave at first light. If he's still at The Attu Watch, we should stand a good chance of catching up with him."
He doesn't register the exasperated glares that Halgo and Blarth give him.
arwink
Clockwork Golem
Wednesday, October 18th
The Attu Watch.
For the locals, the name conjurs up a long and grim history of violence and bloodshed. The remains of an old keep, long decayed, whose wide and bloodstone paved courtyard has become a favored camping spot for those who travel the road between Hommlet and the Holy City of Petrev. Ancient stones set into the side of a steep hill, surrounded by the fey-filled Tusk forest. Bards sing tales of its history, the grandure of its creators and the bravery of heroes who have used the ruins as the site of their last stand.
This means nothing to the approaching Copperheads, who simply look at the crenulated lip of the Watch as a challenge.
"Only one way up," Geoffrey comments, examining the hill face. "The rest of it is to difficult to climb in armor, and leaves us exposed to missile fire."
"Blarth not like," Blarth says. "Path might be trapped."
"Might be?" Halgo says. "Will be is more like it. Selandar had Yip's, remember? If they've had even a few days to turn this into a base of opperations, then they'll have trapped that path for sure."
"It doesn't matter, the only clue we have is up there," Geoffrey says, his jawline setting into firm resolve. "Selandar's betrayed his god and killed the holy servants who were sent to return him. We find him, we kill him, and we return his belongings to my brothers in Petrev."
It's not a prospect that fills anyone with joy, but they gear up and start along the path. Single file, Blarth in the lead where his armored form can soak the worst of any traps they may trigger. They know that all Yip's have some skill with the trapmakers art, but their main hope is that the Yip's that follow Salandar have done little to develop their natural talent.
Fortunately, it appears that they haven't. The trap comes halfway up the climb, a tripwire that causes two sharpened stakes to swing out at knee level. Blarth is at the ready when he hears the sudden click of the wire, leaping to one side and dropping his shield low enough to deflect the worst of the blow. He suffers nothing more than a thin scratch through his greaves.
"Ouch," he grunts. "Found trap."
"Right," Geoffrey says blandly, examining the wound. "No poison, and its not deep."
He mutters the words of a spell under his breath and heals the shallow cut.
"Let's go."
The cautious climb continues, but there are no further traps to waylay the heroes, just an hour of narrow path winding back and forth along the slope. As it nears the tip, it straightens, leading forward to the edge of the Watch.
"They're waiting for us," Geoffrey says, pointing at a pair of twitching ears barely vissible over one of the crumbling battlements. "Let's not dissapoint them."
He hefts his sheild into place and readies his mace, holding it loosely in one hand.
"Can anyone think of an easy way to sneak up on them?"
No-one can.
"Then we charge. Blarth and I in the lead, Halgo stay behind and out of arrowshot. They should only be armed with throwing blades, but they may not follow the restrictions of the order now so be ready for anything."
The Attu Watch.
For the locals, the name conjurs up a long and grim history of violence and bloodshed. The remains of an old keep, long decayed, whose wide and bloodstone paved courtyard has become a favored camping spot for those who travel the road between Hommlet and the Holy City of Petrev. Ancient stones set into the side of a steep hill, surrounded by the fey-filled Tusk forest. Bards sing tales of its history, the grandure of its creators and the bravery of heroes who have used the ruins as the site of their last stand.
This means nothing to the approaching Copperheads, who simply look at the crenulated lip of the Watch as a challenge.
"Only one way up," Geoffrey comments, examining the hill face. "The rest of it is to difficult to climb in armor, and leaves us exposed to missile fire."
"Blarth not like," Blarth says. "Path might be trapped."
"Might be?" Halgo says. "Will be is more like it. Selandar had Yip's, remember? If they've had even a few days to turn this into a base of opperations, then they'll have trapped that path for sure."
"It doesn't matter, the only clue we have is up there," Geoffrey says, his jawline setting into firm resolve. "Selandar's betrayed his god and killed the holy servants who were sent to return him. We find him, we kill him, and we return his belongings to my brothers in Petrev."
It's not a prospect that fills anyone with joy, but they gear up and start along the path. Single file, Blarth in the lead where his armored form can soak the worst of any traps they may trigger. They know that all Yip's have some skill with the trapmakers art, but their main hope is that the Yip's that follow Salandar have done little to develop their natural talent.
Fortunately, it appears that they haven't. The trap comes halfway up the climb, a tripwire that causes two sharpened stakes to swing out at knee level. Blarth is at the ready when he hears the sudden click of the wire, leaping to one side and dropping his shield low enough to deflect the worst of the blow. He suffers nothing more than a thin scratch through his greaves.
"Ouch," he grunts. "Found trap."
"Right," Geoffrey says blandly, examining the wound. "No poison, and its not deep."
He mutters the words of a spell under his breath and heals the shallow cut.
"Let's go."
The cautious climb continues, but there are no further traps to waylay the heroes, just an hour of narrow path winding back and forth along the slope. As it nears the tip, it straightens, leading forward to the edge of the Watch.
"They're waiting for us," Geoffrey says, pointing at a pair of twitching ears barely vissible over one of the crumbling battlements. "Let's not dissapoint them."
He hefts his sheild into place and readies his mace, holding it loosely in one hand.
"Can anyone think of an easy way to sneak up on them?"
No-one can.
"Then we charge. Blarth and I in the lead, Halgo stay behind and out of arrowshot. They should only be armed with throwing blades, but they may not follow the restrictions of the order now so be ready for anything."
arwink
Clockwork Golem
The adventurers surge forward, shields at the ready. Two scaly forms rise up from behind the stones, flinging a handful of shiruken at their charging foes. There's a series of staccato thumps as the spinning blades collide with shields and armored chests, but a single pointed barb flies high enough to open a small gash along Blarth's cheek.
One of the kobolds has the presence of mind to ready his siangham even as the shiruken leave his hands. The other chances on flinging another handful, ducking down behind the battlement to ready another pawful of blades before popping back up with a paw poised and ready to throw.
He learns too late that while battlements offer great protection from enemy arrow fire, they do little to prevent a sword-wielding half-orc standing on the far side from slicing your head off with his copper blade.
The second Yip backtracks, his claws clicking on the cobblestones as he skitters away from the trio of attackers. The siangham is held in a defensive stance, ready to lash out at anyone who approaches. Halgo watches him for a second, shrugs, and raises his crossbow into a firing position. The kobold's hand jerks automatically when it hears the crossbows twang, its paw closing along the bolt's path a mere second after the metal barb has buried itself in his head.
"This is your churches elite thief-hunting service?" Halgo asks, looking at the dead kobolds.
Geoffrey scratches his head.
"I guess they're more impressive when they have numbers."
The bodies are searched without much enthusiasm, and it’s realized that the Yip monk’s corruption hasn't led to the overturning of their vows of poverty. Apart from their weapons, the only real valuables they carry are the iron-crossed holy symbols worn around their necks.
"Weird," Halgo comments, picking one up and turning it over. "You'd think they'd throw these away."
"Look closer," Geoffrey says, his voice kept carefully neutral.
Halgo holds the symbol closer, noticing a single burning eye carved into the center of the Iron Cross.
"Granak," Halgo swears.
"Yep."
"Who Granak?" Blarth asks. "Blarth know name."
"He's a god of devastation," Geoffrey says. "Storms, forest fires, earthquakes. His worship has never been seen this far along the coast."
"That bad?"
"It's bad," Geoffrey says. "And it means we need to find Selandar fast. A fallen justicar with a penchant for mass destruction isn't something we want on the loose."
One of the kobolds has the presence of mind to ready his siangham even as the shiruken leave his hands. The other chances on flinging another handful, ducking down behind the battlement to ready another pawful of blades before popping back up with a paw poised and ready to throw.
He learns too late that while battlements offer great protection from enemy arrow fire, they do little to prevent a sword-wielding half-orc standing on the far side from slicing your head off with his copper blade.
The second Yip backtracks, his claws clicking on the cobblestones as he skitters away from the trio of attackers. The siangham is held in a defensive stance, ready to lash out at anyone who approaches. Halgo watches him for a second, shrugs, and raises his crossbow into a firing position. The kobold's hand jerks automatically when it hears the crossbows twang, its paw closing along the bolt's path a mere second after the metal barb has buried itself in his head.
"This is your churches elite thief-hunting service?" Halgo asks, looking at the dead kobolds.
Geoffrey scratches his head.
"I guess they're more impressive when they have numbers."
The bodies are searched without much enthusiasm, and it’s realized that the Yip monk’s corruption hasn't led to the overturning of their vows of poverty. Apart from their weapons, the only real valuables they carry are the iron-crossed holy symbols worn around their necks.
"Weird," Halgo comments, picking one up and turning it over. "You'd think they'd throw these away."
"Look closer," Geoffrey says, his voice kept carefully neutral.
Halgo holds the symbol closer, noticing a single burning eye carved into the center of the Iron Cross.
"Granak," Halgo swears.
"Yep."
"Who Granak?" Blarth asks. "Blarth know name."
"He's a god of devastation," Geoffrey says. "Storms, forest fires, earthquakes. His worship has never been seen this far along the coast."
"That bad?"
"It's bad," Geoffrey says. "And it means we need to find Selandar fast. A fallen justicar with a penchant for mass destruction isn't something we want on the loose."
Mathew_Freeman
Adventurer
What this campaign needs is a pirate! He'll soon take care of yon landlubber kobolds! Arrrrrr!
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