Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
(Cydra) The Year 271 Campaign (Low Magic experiment)
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="the Jester" data-source="post: 3299289" data-attributes="member: 1210"><p><strong>ARC 2 BEGINS HERE: An Age of Madness!</strong></p><p></p><p>It feels like it has been seconds. It feels like it has been weeks. It feels like it has been years.</p><p></p><p>Slowly, our heroes begin to open their eyes. Groaning, Sir Jorgen and Sir Colder are first. They ache from their wounds, but they feel worse than just that. Something feels <em>wrong</em>- crawling up and down their skin, itching and burning.*</p><p></p><p>Dahlia’s eyelids flutter and she slowly inhales very deeply, then opens her eyes- and gasps. She is quite disoriented; her companions are scattered around the ground, outside in the Ghost Tower of Inverness’ courtyard. Crushed and shattered rock all around seems to indicate that some sort of massive explosion or detonation took place below ground. Overhead, the sky is a dull red color, and it makes her eyes watery and sore to look at it. Neither sun nor stars are visible in the firmament.</p><p></p><p>Suddenly, in the distance, an intense flash of maroon light washes across the entire sky. The itching, burning sensation that our heroes are feeling across their exposed skin increases notably, all over all of their bodies, only to gradually subside back to its initial disconcerting level as the sky resumes its abnormal red color. The mysterious elf that rescued the party from Sir Harth’s clutches, whom they followed here, lies senseless and moaning on the ground. She appears to be bleeding from the nose and ears. As the sky flashes, she gives a cry of pain.</p><p></p><p>“Oh no!” exclaims Dahlia, dragging herself upright. Otis and Sir Cedric remain unconscious nearby, lying senseless, but the elf is in terrible shape. The strange hermit begins checking her for signs of poison or disease, and cries, “What’s wrong with you??”</p><p></p><p>“The sky... the flashes...” the elf gasps. She coughs; her spittle is bloody. She winces, then says, “Stop him. You must stop him. He’s... a fool. Weapons are forbidden... with good reason.” She moans.</p><p></p><p>“What is the sky?” asks Goer- er, Sir Fwaigo. “I mean, how is it hurting you? It’s not hurting us...”</p><p></p><p>“It’s... a weapon... spell so... powerful... it wiped out... the elves of this island.” </p><p></p><p>“Would it help if we could get you under cover?” Dahlia asks. The elf nods and responds faintly.</p><p></p><p>“Extend... my life... a few more minutes...”</p><p></p><p>Immediately the party begins checking the area for any kind of available cover. The Ghost Tower itself is far from featureless, but it has no obvious doors or windows; so there is no way in. However, the courtyard (which now consists of broken rubble) does have one area that is torn up pretty badly, beneath which Dahlia finds a remnant of the old dungeon. Together, then, Sir Jorgen and Sir Colder haul the elf down into what remains- a 20’ wide, 40’ long length of hallway ending in one of the metal doors that required the four-part metal key. Fortunately, Jorgen notices that all four parts of the key are in the door. <em>A stroke of luck,</em> the sheriff thinks.</p><p></p><p>Dahlia, meanwhile, has administered a few <em>goodberries</em> to both Sir Cedric and Otis. Slowly, they both stir and come to; neither feels very well. Both are badly wounded; but then, the entire party is ragged and worn and barely standing. “My goodneth!” Sir Cedric sputters. “Quickly, my former thquire!” he calls to Sir Fwaigo, who is already pulling out a bottle of brandy. “A drink!”</p><p></p><p>“What’s going on?” Otis groans as awareness returns to him. Quickly, our heroes fill him in on the elf’s condition and her words so far. “We must hurry!” the wizard declares immediately. “Sir Harth is out there somewhere!” Then he pauses and exclaims, “Salt!”</p><p></p><p>“Salt?” asks Colder.</p><p></p><p>“Yes, the so-called ‘elves’- remember, we defeated at Goblin Gorge them with weapons coated in salt. Remember that goblin, Zeem, and her temple, after the weird creatures- the elves- had brought their cyst in?”</p><p></p><p>“Of course,” Sir Fwaigo replies.</p><p></p><p>“We must be prepared-” Otis stops as he notices the condition of the elf. Sir Cedric and Dahlia are already leaning over her. </p><p></p><p>“What can we do?” entreats Cedric.</p><p></p><p>“Nothing,” the elf whispers. “Nothing for me. But... stop Sir Harth. You must defeat him!”</p><p></p><p>“What ith he doing? Where ith he going?” Sir Cedric queries.</p><p></p><p>“Can’t be sure... I know... he is seeking weapons from this time. He wants... to use them... to take over your homeland. Thankfully... he does not... realize how meager... his ambitions are.” The elf groans again.</p><p></p><p>“Who can help us here?” Sir Fwaigo demands. “Who can aid us?”</p><p></p><p>The elf fixes him with a dying eye. “You don’t understand...”</p><p></p><p>“Are we in the future or the past?” Otis inquires.</p><p></p><p>“The past... at the height of... the Age of Madness. The elf-slayer is... just one powerful weapon... of many.”</p><p></p><p>“Which one is Sir Harth after?” asks Colder.</p><p></p><p>”Can’t be sure... doesn’t matter.”</p><p></p><p>“What kind of weapons are we talking about here?” asks Kyle. </p><p></p><p>“Many... different, powerful... magical weapons. Some of them can even... draw moons down from the sky... to crush entire islands. Some of them... make the air unbreathable for miles.”</p><p></p><p>Sir Colder and Kyle exchange a glance. </p><p></p><p>“So who can help us?” Fwaigo- Goer- asks again.</p><p></p><p>The elf fixes her eyes on him. With a groan, she says, “You... don’t understand. There isn’t anyone... at least, not many. Most... gone. All the elves, maybe... by now. You may not find... ANY... friendly folk. This is... a very dark time.”</p><p></p><p>“Did you live through it before?” Kyle asks. When the elf manages a weak nod, he asks, “How? Surely <em>some</em> of your people made it...”</p><p></p><p>“Not... here. On Island... of the Elves.”</p><p></p><p>“But what about the dragons?” Kyle inquires. “Surely they weren’t slain here...”</p><p></p><p>“Some... some slain, some fled... bad time... very dark...”</p><p></p><p>“And how do we get back home?” Fwaigo demands. “We followed you here- guide us! Who can help us? Surely there’s someone... or a way back...”</p><p></p><p>The elf says nothing.</p><p></p><p>“We must find Harth,” Otis states. “There is no time to waste.”</p><p></p><p>“Great,” murmurs Jorgen. “But how?”</p><p></p><p>“I can check for tracks,” Dahlia offers.</p><p></p><p>“It’s dangerous up there,” Kyle shivers. “And we need to rest first.” </p><p></p><p>“I don’t think that you comprehend the magnitude of our situation,” Otis sniffs. “Time is of the essence. We dare not delay.”</p><p></p><p>“We’re in no shape to go exploring,” Colder argues back. “You and Cedric- hell, and myself- can barely stand!”</p><p></p><p>“We don’t even know where we’re going, or where Sir Harth went,” adds Jorgen. “We need to know where to go before we head out.”</p><p></p><p>“We could always check the Ghost Tower,” Sir Colder suggests.</p><p></p><p>The group debates for a few minutes, and in the end they decide that Dahlia will go look for tracks while the others guard the poor elf. It is then that they realize that, while they were talking, she has died.</p><p></p><p>Somberly, our heroes look at each other. They are alone, now, in a world blasted by magic far more powerful than anything they have ever seen.</p><p></p><p>“Great,” groans Kyle.</p><p></p><p><em><strong>Next Time:</strong></em> Our heroes look for clues- and decide what to do!</p><p></p><p></p><p>*Everyone woke up with 1 point of con damage. This was enough to knock Otis and Cedric unconscious, given their wounds from our previous adventure.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="the Jester, post: 3299289, member: 1210"] [b]ARC 2 BEGINS HERE: An Age of Madness![/b] It feels like it has been seconds. It feels like it has been weeks. It feels like it has been years. Slowly, our heroes begin to open their eyes. Groaning, Sir Jorgen and Sir Colder are first. They ache from their wounds, but they feel worse than just that. Something feels [i]wrong[/i]- crawling up and down their skin, itching and burning.* Dahlia’s eyelids flutter and she slowly inhales very deeply, then opens her eyes- and gasps. She is quite disoriented; her companions are scattered around the ground, outside in the Ghost Tower of Inverness’ courtyard. Crushed and shattered rock all around seems to indicate that some sort of massive explosion or detonation took place below ground. Overhead, the sky is a dull red color, and it makes her eyes watery and sore to look at it. Neither sun nor stars are visible in the firmament. Suddenly, in the distance, an intense flash of maroon light washes across the entire sky. The itching, burning sensation that our heroes are feeling across their exposed skin increases notably, all over all of their bodies, only to gradually subside back to its initial disconcerting level as the sky resumes its abnormal red color. The mysterious elf that rescued the party from Sir Harth’s clutches, whom they followed here, lies senseless and moaning on the ground. She appears to be bleeding from the nose and ears. As the sky flashes, she gives a cry of pain. “Oh no!” exclaims Dahlia, dragging herself upright. Otis and Sir Cedric remain unconscious nearby, lying senseless, but the elf is in terrible shape. The strange hermit begins checking her for signs of poison or disease, and cries, “What’s wrong with you??” “The sky... the flashes...” the elf gasps. She coughs; her spittle is bloody. She winces, then says, “Stop him. You must stop him. He’s... a fool. Weapons are forbidden... with good reason.” She moans. “What is the sky?” asks Goer- er, Sir Fwaigo. “I mean, how is it hurting you? It’s not hurting us...” “It’s... a weapon... spell so... powerful... it wiped out... the elves of this island.” “Would it help if we could get you under cover?” Dahlia asks. The elf nods and responds faintly. “Extend... my life... a few more minutes...” Immediately the party begins checking the area for any kind of available cover. The Ghost Tower itself is far from featureless, but it has no obvious doors or windows; so there is no way in. However, the courtyard (which now consists of broken rubble) does have one area that is torn up pretty badly, beneath which Dahlia finds a remnant of the old dungeon. Together, then, Sir Jorgen and Sir Colder haul the elf down into what remains- a 20’ wide, 40’ long length of hallway ending in one of the metal doors that required the four-part metal key. Fortunately, Jorgen notices that all four parts of the key are in the door. [i]A stroke of luck,[/i] the sheriff thinks. Dahlia, meanwhile, has administered a few [i]goodberries[/i] to both Sir Cedric and Otis. Slowly, they both stir and come to; neither feels very well. Both are badly wounded; but then, the entire party is ragged and worn and barely standing. “My goodneth!” Sir Cedric sputters. “Quickly, my former thquire!” he calls to Sir Fwaigo, who is already pulling out a bottle of brandy. “A drink!” “What’s going on?” Otis groans as awareness returns to him. Quickly, our heroes fill him in on the elf’s condition and her words so far. “We must hurry!” the wizard declares immediately. “Sir Harth is out there somewhere!” Then he pauses and exclaims, “Salt!” “Salt?” asks Colder. “Yes, the so-called ‘elves’- remember, we defeated at Goblin Gorge them with weapons coated in salt. Remember that goblin, Zeem, and her temple, after the weird creatures- the elves- had brought their cyst in?” “Of course,” Sir Fwaigo replies. “We must be prepared-” Otis stops as he notices the condition of the elf. Sir Cedric and Dahlia are already leaning over her. “What can we do?” entreats Cedric. “Nothing,” the elf whispers. “Nothing for me. But... stop Sir Harth. You must defeat him!” “What ith he doing? Where ith he going?” Sir Cedric queries. “Can’t be sure... I know... he is seeking weapons from this time. He wants... to use them... to take over your homeland. Thankfully... he does not... realize how meager... his ambitions are.” The elf groans again. “Who can help us here?” Sir Fwaigo demands. “Who can aid us?” The elf fixes him with a dying eye. “You don’t understand...” “Are we in the future or the past?” Otis inquires. “The past... at the height of... the Age of Madness. The elf-slayer is... just one powerful weapon... of many.” “Which one is Sir Harth after?” asks Colder. ”Can’t be sure... doesn’t matter.” “What kind of weapons are we talking about here?” asks Kyle. “Many... different, powerful... magical weapons. Some of them can even... draw moons down from the sky... to crush entire islands. Some of them... make the air unbreathable for miles.” Sir Colder and Kyle exchange a glance. “So who can help us?” Fwaigo- Goer- asks again. The elf fixes her eyes on him. With a groan, she says, “You... don’t understand. There isn’t anyone... at least, not many. Most... gone. All the elves, maybe... by now. You may not find... ANY... friendly folk. This is... a very dark time.” “Did you live through it before?” Kyle asks. When the elf manages a weak nod, he asks, “How? Surely [i]some[/i] of your people made it...” “Not... here. On Island... of the Elves.” “But what about the dragons?” Kyle inquires. “Surely they weren’t slain here...” “Some... some slain, some fled... bad time... very dark...” “And how do we get back home?” Fwaigo demands. “We followed you here- guide us! Who can help us? Surely there’s someone... or a way back...” The elf says nothing. “We must find Harth,” Otis states. “There is no time to waste.” “Great,” murmurs Jorgen. “But how?” “I can check for tracks,” Dahlia offers. “It’s dangerous up there,” Kyle shivers. “And we need to rest first.” “I don’t think that you comprehend the magnitude of our situation,” Otis sniffs. “Time is of the essence. We dare not delay.” “We’re in no shape to go exploring,” Colder argues back. “You and Cedric- hell, and myself- can barely stand!” “We don’t even know where we’re going, or where Sir Harth went,” adds Jorgen. “We need to know where to go before we head out.” “We could always check the Ghost Tower,” Sir Colder suggests. The group debates for a few minutes, and in the end they decide that Dahlia will go look for tracks while the others guard the poor elf. It is then that they realize that, while they were talking, she has died. Somberly, our heroes look at each other. They are alone, now, in a world blasted by magic far more powerful than anything they have ever seen. “Great,” groans Kyle. [i][b]Next Time:[/b][/i][b][/b] Our heroes look for clues- and decide what to do! *Everyone woke up with 1 point of con damage. This was enough to knock Otis and Cedric unconscious, given their wounds from our previous adventure. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
(Cydra) The Year 271 Campaign (Low Magic experiment)
Top