Piratecat's Updated Story Hour! (update 4/03 and 4/06)
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Sialia
First Post
And we worried about whether it might be the missing heir to the throne of Gaunt, but we've since forgotten about that.
Hey, P'cat, when you get back--please clarify--in my old notes it was spelled "Gont," while in my more recent ones, it's "Gaunt." Which is correct?
The oddest thing about the Doxelfar is that they said that the kid they're waiting for smells like me.
In what way I'm not sure.
Since the Birdhouse Clan is minor nobility, it's possible that we share some royal blood smell. But it'd be pretty weak.
I probably smell more strongly of Oursk and the Academy Sorcere, which suggests our old pal Michael (you know, the genius twerp with the cute little purple dragon. He's generally pally with the Fae, and likely to be a target for Doxelfar, who hate the Good Folk.)
Meant to warn him when I got back, but that slipped my mind, too.
All right all right. I'll give him a nod about it. Jeez, guys, I was gonna. 'S probably nothing anyway. Could be somebody centuries off, the way time moves there.
Hey, P'cat, when you get back--please clarify--in my old notes it was spelled "Gont," while in my more recent ones, it's "Gaunt." Which is correct?
The oddest thing about the Doxelfar is that they said that the kid they're waiting for smells like me.
In what way I'm not sure.
Since the Birdhouse Clan is minor nobility, it's possible that we share some royal blood smell. But it'd be pretty weak.
I probably smell more strongly of Oursk and the Academy Sorcere, which suggests our old pal Michael (you know, the genius twerp with the cute little purple dragon. He's generally pally with the Fae, and likely to be a target for Doxelfar, who hate the Good Folk.)
Meant to warn him when I got back, but that slipped my mind, too.
All right all right. I'll give him a nod about it. Jeez, guys, I was gonna. 'S probably nothing anyway. Could be somebody centuries off, the way time moves there.
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Sialia
First Post
DocMoriartty said:
Ok, I'm just guessing here--no more data available than the rest of the Board readers, but here's what I think.
Imbindarla has plenty of pals, or at least, allied Evil gods who also hate the Sun.
A few years back Toraz (ptuh) and a bunch of others tried to put out the sun forever with a comet (and, incidentally, they're still sore about us meddling in that one.) Toraz had a buncha allies in that little prank, who's names mercifully escape me at the moment.
So I'm guessing there's still a lotta Evil gods out there who'd jump at the chance to pigpile on Aeos, given the chance. They've been at this a while.
By my notes, since about May of 1996. Maybe the year before that.
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Bandeeto
First Post
Ah, yes. But let us not forget...
"Aeos is a 'Greater' God!"
(Apologies to Calphas, a... "Lesser" God.)
Imbindarla, being a goddess of shadows and the dark, may be both fighting and hiding. Having messed with Aeos as badly as she did, it is almost a guarantee that she knew he would come after her if the ruse was discovered. One suspects she had a backup plan (she usually does.)
Further, she and the Brotherhood of Night were the primary driving forces behind the "Huge Comet to Blot Out the Sun" plot. When that failed and Celian (God of the Stars) returned, she must have gone with her alternative plan. Thus, the White Kingdom. The ghouls were already building in strength and striking at the Skavven Ratmen in the Underdark when the Defenders were setting out to stop the comet.
I must say, that's one hell of a feint.
"Aeos is a 'Greater' God!"
(Apologies to Calphas, a... "Lesser" God.)
Imbindarla, being a goddess of shadows and the dark, may be both fighting and hiding. Having messed with Aeos as badly as she did, it is almost a guarantee that she knew he would come after her if the ruse was discovered. One suspects she had a backup plan (she usually does.)
Further, she and the Brotherhood of Night were the primary driving forces behind the "Huge Comet to Blot Out the Sun" plot. When that failed and Celian (God of the Stars) returned, she must have gone with her alternative plan. Thus, the White Kingdom. The ghouls were already building in strength and striking at the Skavven Ratmen in the Underdark when the Defenders were setting out to stop the comet.
I must say, that's one hell of a feint.
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Mishihari Lord
First Post
I think it'd be neat if Aeos lost the fight. The sun goes out and all the sudden things become a lot more challenging.
Spider_Jerusalem
Explorer
[Spider crumples to the floor, having read everything about the Defenders available in the last two days - and finally finishes]
First of all, and It's been said many times before, it's great to see a high-level party of adventurers played and DM'd so well - keeping the characters down to earth (Well... figuratively speaking at least) and giving them problems that actually make you think.
But best of all, and I think this probably applies most DM's reading this out there, the images and stories recorded here give each and every one of us something to admire and learn from. Its helped me with the ripple effect, at least
.
Only problem is, and I know a few others are also wallowing in my ignorance, that stories are referenced which I have no idea about - for example everyone shouts about this Comet Arc, and I can't find it anywhere. Anyone help out with a link for this or are they just lost tales?
I hate kissing a**, so I'll shut up now...
Apart from saying that the Miracle by Velendo was fantastic. Must have been wonderful having a player say that to you when you're DMing...
I'm really shutting up now.
[Spider shuts up]
First of all, and It's been said many times before, it's great to see a high-level party of adventurers played and DM'd so well - keeping the characters down to earth (Well... figuratively speaking at least) and giving them problems that actually make you think.
But best of all, and I think this probably applies most DM's reading this out there, the images and stories recorded here give each and every one of us something to admire and learn from. Its helped me with the ripple effect, at least
. Only problem is, and I know a few others are also wallowing in my ignorance, that stories are referenced which I have no idea about - for example everyone shouts about this Comet Arc, and I can't find it anywhere. Anyone help out with a link for this or are they just lost tales?
I hate kissing a**, so I'll shut up now...
Apart from saying that the Miracle by Velendo was fantastic. Must have been wonderful having a player say that to you when you're DMing...
I'm really shutting up now.
[Spider shuts up]
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tsadkiel
Legend
I'm actually faintly disappointed. I was kind of hoping for an onstage destruction of Ghouleax, and maybe a "Mwa ha ha" or two. Ah, well, good stuff nonetheless.
(And after shamelessly dropping Eversink into my Star Wars game (which has now ended; we never did get to the gondola race) I'm about to start a "long-dead legendary Paladin reappears and causes massive political and theological upheavel; things aren't quite what they seem" storyline in our Greyhawk game. Though I'm using a peasant girl who may or may not be the reincarnation of the long-dead hero, but is certainly capable of beating the crap out of numerous armed and highly skilled warriors using only a stick, rather than the undead thing.)
(And after shamelessly dropping Eversink into my Star Wars game (which has now ended; we never did get to the gondola race) I'm about to start a "long-dead legendary Paladin reappears and causes massive political and theological upheavel; things aren't quite what they seem" storyline in our Greyhawk game. Though I'm using a peasant girl who may or may not be the reincarnation of the long-dead hero, but is certainly capable of beating the crap out of numerous armed and highly skilled warriors using only a stick, rather than the undead thing.)
Piratecat
Sesquipedalian
Everyone pauses for half a beat. Then, with perfect poise, Shara cants her head slightly to the side and gives the sword a startled look. “I beg your pardon?” she asks. Her tone sounds polite to anyone who isn’t familiar with the nuances of her speech.
“I said you’re quite a looker! I was serious, too. Your eyes are simply lovely, like sapphires in the sea.” It angles itself in Malachite’s hands and points itself towards Mara. “You as well! My goodness, you’d think I died and went to heaven.”
Shara smiles as Mara’s jaw drops. Agar cuts in, “Well, actually….”
The sword continues. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m well aware I’m a sword, and a damn good one, too. My name is Karthos, the Ghosthammer, Blessed of Aeos, Blade of Deliverance, Vessel of the Sun, blah blah blah. I’m trying to understand how I got here. Last I remember, I was deep underground with the paladin Sir Aleax and a bunch of his friends, trying to block the passage of a ridiculous amount of undead.”
This snaps everyone to attention. “You remember that?” asks Mara. “You remember the tunnels, and Saint Aleax, and your expedition?”
If they didn’t know better, they would swear that the sword actually snorts in derision. “Saint? You’re kidding, right? Aleax is a good man, and a dedicated paladin, but he’s no saint. He’s no me, either. Too rigid, too worried about protocol, not enough of a sense of humor, no ability to make impromptu decisions. I’ve told him so a dozen times myself.”
Malachite holds the long sword up to his face. “Indeed. He’s long dead, killed hundreds of years ago when he collapsed a cavern on himself to stop the ghouls. His soul entered the sword when that happened. Now he’s gone, and you are back.”
“Huh.” The sword seems to study Malachite. “I’m glad to hear it. I hope he’s at peace. Who are you?”
“I am Sir Malachite of the Emerald Chapel. I’m honored to wield you, if you’ll have me.”
The sword twitches over towards the beautiful Mara, jokingly lets out a loud sigh of regret, and illuminates Malachite’s face with glittering sunlight. “I was a Knight of the Emerald Chapel myself, once, or so they tell me. I don’t remember many details from that life. If I can serve Aeos through you, Sir Malachite, I am honored to do so.” Over the next few minutes Malachite discovers that Karthos is a slightly more powerful sword than Aleax was, and has a few unique abilities, such as the power to detect secret doors and the ability to leap into his hand from the sheath. Like Aleax before it, it retains a few paladin abilities, such as the power to detect evil, detect undead, and the ability to lay on hilt.
Shara interrupts, indicating the silent, gray-robed man at her side. “I’d like to introduce you to someone. This is Galthia. He’s a githzerai, and he says he’s here to join you.” She leans towards Nolin and mouths, “He checks out to divinations and questioning. I was fairly impressed.”
Velendo slumps in his chair and eyes the tall, gray-skinned man who stands stock still. Sharp eyes peer out from between the stranger’s chiseled cheekbones, and thin, almost bloodless lips remain in a serious expression. “Well Galthia, what do you want with us?”
The githzerai speaks stiffly in a quiet voice, with a bare minimum of body language. “I have been sent by my monastery to give you aid. They say you were instrumental in a recent endeavor of theirs, and they would like to return the favor. They understand that you need a scout. I’m a good one.”
“Ha!” says TomTom. “We have a scout, not that a second one would go amiss. Where are you from?”
“I was raised in monasteries within the endless Chaos of Limbo. There, a strong mind is essential in controlling your environment. I have some training in such things, and I am a versatile combatant either with or without weapons. As an Acolyte of the Fist, I choose to help you, and in fulfilling that want, you will find me useful.”
Out of habit, Nolin glances around to Palladio to see if the monk is telling the truth… but Palladio, of course, is hundreds of miles away on a mission of his own. Meanwhile, Velendo looks at the stranger suspiciously. “Well, Galthia, it seems a little suspicious to me that you would have been sent all this way to fulfill a debt we didn’t think existed in the first place. Are you sure that your whoever-they-are didn’t send you with some secret agenda?”
Galthia calmly meets his eyes. “I can not know my Masters’ minds. I am not sent to betray you, however, and I am pleased to help.”
“Huh.” Velendo rubs his chin and looks around at the other Defenders. Through a mindlink, they decide to treat him cautiously until he proves himself.
The group talks late into the night, even though it is not dark outside. Tomorrow is their court appearance in front of Eversink’s Council, and everyone is a bit nervous. Finally they go to bed, leaving Galthia locked in a sleeping room of his own. “I’m sorry, but we’re going to leave you locked here. Please ring if you need anything.”
“Of course.” Galthia doesn’t seem upset in the least. “It is larger than I am used to, and much more richly furnished. Will it offend you if I remove the mattress from the bed frame?”
“Err… no,” answers Velendo, and closes and locks the door on the solemn figure.
Before bed, two sendings go out. The first is from Mara to Whalter, the Basker cleric back at the Mother Church of Aeos who did the commune while Mara was in Corsai. Unfortunately, Mara isn't She's not used to sendings.
To be continued….
“I said you’re quite a looker! I was serious, too. Your eyes are simply lovely, like sapphires in the sea.” It angles itself in Malachite’s hands and points itself towards Mara. “You as well! My goodness, you’d think I died and went to heaven.”
Shara smiles as Mara’s jaw drops. Agar cuts in, “Well, actually….”
The sword continues. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m well aware I’m a sword, and a damn good one, too. My name is Karthos, the Ghosthammer, Blessed of Aeos, Blade of Deliverance, Vessel of the Sun, blah blah blah. I’m trying to understand how I got here. Last I remember, I was deep underground with the paladin Sir Aleax and a bunch of his friends, trying to block the passage of a ridiculous amount of undead.”
This snaps everyone to attention. “You remember that?” asks Mara. “You remember the tunnels, and Saint Aleax, and your expedition?”
If they didn’t know better, they would swear that the sword actually snorts in derision. “Saint? You’re kidding, right? Aleax is a good man, and a dedicated paladin, but he’s no saint. He’s no me, either. Too rigid, too worried about protocol, not enough of a sense of humor, no ability to make impromptu decisions. I’ve told him so a dozen times myself.”
Malachite holds the long sword up to his face. “Indeed. He’s long dead, killed hundreds of years ago when he collapsed a cavern on himself to stop the ghouls. His soul entered the sword when that happened. Now he’s gone, and you are back.”
“Huh.” The sword seems to study Malachite. “I’m glad to hear it. I hope he’s at peace. Who are you?”
“I am Sir Malachite of the Emerald Chapel. I’m honored to wield you, if you’ll have me.”
The sword twitches over towards the beautiful Mara, jokingly lets out a loud sigh of regret, and illuminates Malachite’s face with glittering sunlight. “I was a Knight of the Emerald Chapel myself, once, or so they tell me. I don’t remember many details from that life. If I can serve Aeos through you, Sir Malachite, I am honored to do so.” Over the next few minutes Malachite discovers that Karthos is a slightly more powerful sword than Aleax was, and has a few unique abilities, such as the power to detect secret doors and the ability to leap into his hand from the sheath. Like Aleax before it, it retains a few paladin abilities, such as the power to detect evil, detect undead, and the ability to lay on hilt.
Shara interrupts, indicating the silent, gray-robed man at her side. “I’d like to introduce you to someone. This is Galthia. He’s a githzerai, and he says he’s here to join you.” She leans towards Nolin and mouths, “He checks out to divinations and questioning. I was fairly impressed.”
Velendo slumps in his chair and eyes the tall, gray-skinned man who stands stock still. Sharp eyes peer out from between the stranger’s chiseled cheekbones, and thin, almost bloodless lips remain in a serious expression. “Well Galthia, what do you want with us?”
The githzerai speaks stiffly in a quiet voice, with a bare minimum of body language. “I have been sent by my monastery to give you aid. They say you were instrumental in a recent endeavor of theirs, and they would like to return the favor. They understand that you need a scout. I’m a good one.”
“Ha!” says TomTom. “We have a scout, not that a second one would go amiss. Where are you from?”
“I was raised in monasteries within the endless Chaos of Limbo. There, a strong mind is essential in controlling your environment. I have some training in such things, and I am a versatile combatant either with or without weapons. As an Acolyte of the Fist, I choose to help you, and in fulfilling that want, you will find me useful.”
Out of habit, Nolin glances around to Palladio to see if the monk is telling the truth… but Palladio, of course, is hundreds of miles away on a mission of his own. Meanwhile, Velendo looks at the stranger suspiciously. “Well, Galthia, it seems a little suspicious to me that you would have been sent all this way to fulfill a debt we didn’t think existed in the first place. Are you sure that your whoever-they-are didn’t send you with some secret agenda?”
Galthia calmly meets his eyes. “I can not know my Masters’ minds. I am not sent to betray you, however, and I am pleased to help.”
“Huh.” Velendo rubs his chin and looks around at the other Defenders. Through a mindlink, they decide to treat him cautiously until he proves himself.
The group talks late into the night, even though it is not dark outside. Tomorrow is their court appearance in front of Eversink’s Council, and everyone is a bit nervous. Finally they go to bed, leaving Galthia locked in a sleeping room of his own. “I’m sorry, but we’re going to leave you locked here. Please ring if you need anything.”
“Of course.” Galthia doesn’t seem upset in the least. “It is larger than I am used to, and much more richly furnished. Will it offend you if I remove the mattress from the bed frame?”
“Err… no,” answers Velendo, and closes and locks the door on the solemn figure.
Before bed, two sendings go out. The first is from Mara to Whalter, the Basker cleric back at the Mother Church of Aeos who did the commune while Mara was in Corsai. Unfortunately, Mara isn't She's not used to sendings.
- "Dear Whalter. How are things? Aeos just visited. Much thunder. Is wroth with thief and mistress who deceived him. Thief dead. How's Aleax? Sincerely, Mara."
- "Thunder here too! Our God spoke! But not to everyone. Saint Aleax is missing - I hear he has been brought bodily back to heaven! Whalter."
- "Aeos discovered ruse. He manifested, vengeful; took Commander Aleax. Destroyed divination block's creator; seeks latter's mistress (Imbindarla?) I'm at Corsai or Eversink's Calphasian temple. -Malachite"
- "Then it has worked! Not what I expected, but sunshine casts odd shadows. I'll begin repairing political damage, if I can. Pray for us."
To be continued….
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Piratecat
Sesquipedalian
Tsadkiel, sorry for not showing Saint Aleax's "ascendance" in person! You'll hear more of him before long, though. Mara is still curious as to the details, and she intends to find out.
Spider, welcome! Lordy, you're a stronger man than I am if you read this all at once. I'm half way done editing my oldest story hours, so I'll send them to Morrus to post as a Word doc before very long.
Here's the general plot of the "comet cycle." The Imbindarlans (led by the cult named the Brotherhood of Night) followed a prophecy that indicated if the stars were in the right conjunction, their spells could extinguish the sun. They devised a complicated plan to bring about such a conjunction the hard way. To do this, they started a war; their first major battle involved sending thousands of near-helpless peasants into battle against an overwhelming force of hardened mercenaries and professional soldiers. The Cult then harnessed their dying life force and used it (along with an ancient artifact of standing stones) to literally wrench a star out of the sky. They then animated the dead to really fight... and of course, the star would move to complete the conjunction. In case that ritual was somehow spoiled, they had aimed the star at the planet itself, so that it would crash into Spira and create dust and devastation the hard way. (This was before Deep Impact or Armageddon, dammit - honest!)
Thus, the Defenders of Daybreak followed some prophecies and headed off west. On the way, they met a blind elven seer who told them of the beginning of the world. They fought a squad of four Torazian Deathgranters, holy assassins whose place in their afterlife depended on their skill at murder. They swam through flooded dwarven tunnels, retrieved something known as the Damming Stone, and evaded peril and politics as they raced to stop the ritual and turn back the comet from atop an unclimbable desert mountain. It was quite an adventure, and the best thing I'd done to date. Sialia wasn't kidding when she said it was complex, though! We'll tell more about it, I think, although it might take a while.
Oh, and Wulf? Will your shameless pandering for both of your superb story hours, including the one where I got to actually play a NPC the other week, EVER stop? You self-promoting hussy! (Note: the word 'hussy' is being used very loosely here.) Next thing you'll know, you'll want people to buy that dwarf book from someplace like www.badaxegames.com - you know, that one I'm using in my own games!
- Piratecat
PS Ben? You can send me a check later.
Spider, welcome! Lordy, you're a stronger man than I am if you read this all at once. I'm half way done editing my oldest story hours, so I'll send them to Morrus to post as a Word doc before very long.
Here's the general plot of the "comet cycle." The Imbindarlans (led by the cult named the Brotherhood of Night) followed a prophecy that indicated if the stars were in the right conjunction, their spells could extinguish the sun. They devised a complicated plan to bring about such a conjunction the hard way. To do this, they started a war; their first major battle involved sending thousands of near-helpless peasants into battle against an overwhelming force of hardened mercenaries and professional soldiers. The Cult then harnessed their dying life force and used it (along with an ancient artifact of standing stones) to literally wrench a star out of the sky. They then animated the dead to really fight... and of course, the star would move to complete the conjunction. In case that ritual was somehow spoiled, they had aimed the star at the planet itself, so that it would crash into Spira and create dust and devastation the hard way. (This was before Deep Impact or Armageddon, dammit - honest!)
Thus, the Defenders of Daybreak followed some prophecies and headed off west. On the way, they met a blind elven seer who told them of the beginning of the world. They fought a squad of four Torazian Deathgranters, holy assassins whose place in their afterlife depended on their skill at murder. They swam through flooded dwarven tunnels, retrieved something known as the Damming Stone, and evaded peril and politics as they raced to stop the ritual and turn back the comet from atop an unclimbable desert mountain. It was quite an adventure, and the best thing I'd done to date. Sialia wasn't kidding when she said it was complex, though! We'll tell more about it, I think, although it might take a while.
Oh, and Wulf? Will your shameless pandering for both of your superb story hours, including the one where I got to actually play a NPC the other week, EVER stop? You self-promoting hussy! (Note: the word 'hussy' is being used very loosely here.) Next thing you'll know, you'll want people to buy that dwarf book from someplace like www.badaxegames.com - you know, that one I'm using in my own games!
- Piratecat
PS Ben? You can send me a check later.
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KidCthulhu
First Post
So there was a question about whether we were afraid that Aeos was WROTH with us. The answer is yes and no. We were pretty sure we were and had done the right thing revealing the divination thingie, but still...
I think it was the divine equivalent of your mom using your middle name. You don't know what you've done, but you know it's serious. And you hold your breath and wait for the shoe to drop.
I think it was the divine equivalent of your mom using your middle name. You don't know what you've done, but you know it's serious. And you hold your breath and wait for the shoe to drop.
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