seasong's Light Against The Dark II (May 13)

[seasong]

Unfortunately, as with many wars, funerals are one of the first things to become mass produced. Athan will get one more moment in the sun, though, so to speak.

Edit: Also, just as a side note, I'll be posting the new character sheet under Athan's listing in the Rogue's Gallery thread as soon as Athan's replacement gets introduced.

And Delgar... yeah, and after such an impressive display of munchkinism, er, battle prowess, too! (weapon trip rules + rage + high initial STR = a giant that can't stay on its feet). If he'd hung back with the Theralis military machine, he'd be alive... of course, so would the giant.

 

[SpaceBaby Industries]

Let me add another vote for this turn of events both completely unexpected and sufficently dramatic to (hopefully for Athan's player) suffice as an appropriately heroic demise.

I also want to compliment you Seasong, not only for the quality of your posts, but the frequency of them. The story stays fast paced, not to mention current in my memory. There are several other well written story hours, but due to sporadic installments, the impact is significantly dilluted. That is certainly not the case here.

 

[Greppa of Tartwater]

The Sunborn Mourns

"Blood and Light"

The sunlight faded from my eyes as I watched my gilded Athan die.
Unable to fight by your side, I watched my gilded Athan die.
I had words for you kept in my head, but now they will be never said,
With Hethas' hand, the orcs did strike, robbing our lives of your light.

I let myself see a time when we were not at the Line.
Adventuring, the Olympiad, beer and wine, sporting events and such good times.
In the world, we chose, death was always close,
However, now it hurts the most

I should forgive, but I'm too small for that.
I will bring my might against Breaking Cat.
And from my shoulders, their skins will ride.
And only then will my pain subside

 

[Greybar]

Thanks Greppa, that will assuage my need for much of a funeral scene for mighty Athan. [snif]

John

 

[J. Anson]

tasteless

Don't read

I told you that nobody would accuse Athan of having a conflict of interest with the orcs.

A wonderfully heroic ending. I hope the replacement character lives up to his example. (I also wonder whether his replacement will be favored by Allas?)

 

[seasong]

Breaking Cat

As Athan fell, Theralis was closing the gap around the giant's body. The soldiers were tired of giants, tired of shamans, tired of giant armorcats and orcs that wouldn't just go away.

As the armorcat spirit died between the coils of Kyriotes' new extraplanar friend, Theralis soldiers dragged the giant's corpse out of reach of the orcs. And by nightfall, they had erected the corpse on a crude stand so that it hung, all twelve feet of it, in a pose of bitter defeat, the head tilted toward the heavens as if for mercy.

At dawn, Theralis attacked again, driving the orcs into the forest before retreating to their line a hundred feet upslope. Over the course of the day, Captain Agina led two charges, both targetting specific orc targets. For some reason, General Phitios had been distressed about the shaman, so that was her first target (several of her hand-picked men died, alongside one arcanist, but the shaman went down); her other was the war chief, but that failed miserably, and she was forced to retreat.

Still... Theralis smelled blood in the water. It was a rough time to be an orc.

 

[incognito]

HOLY CRAP!

Athan...dead?!!?

I almost can't believe it!...But I bet I know why Meredith was crying (insert evil smirk)

Q: Did the player know what was coming, and died heroically, or did he over estimate Athan gross-ness.

PS: Alas, poor Athan - I knew him well.

 

[seasong]

Q: Did the player know what was coming, and died heroically, or did he over estimate Athan gross-ness.

Got focused on killing the giant, thought he could make it back before the orcs jumped him, thought stoneskin would keep him alive... and started at near full hit points (despite smacks from the giant's club - low rolls + stoneskin).

As far as the heroism of the death... when Greppa went out on flying duty, when Merideth put herself between Athan's body and stabbing spears, when Athan charged and tripped the giant... any of these could have ended badly, and would have been heroic. The PCs are heroes, and patriots, and soldiers. And they act it. All three characters would lay down their lives to save Theralis, if that's what it took (even Merideth, however much she might deny it).

Part of the fun is living vicariously in this more primitive, more primal, more exciting life .

 

[J. Anson]

Am I understanding the idea behind the orc sacrifices correctly? Is it, strictly, just a sacrifice to collect power to make the summons (or to power the communication with the ancestors/wilderness spirits, to ask for help), or is it using the slain orcs' spirits themselves to do the bidding? I ask because when it was described the previous time (Olgah's Revenge) it seemed like the orcs' themselves were recast as wolves, but this time there didn't seem to be any strong link between the armorcat spirit and the orcish sacrifices.

It would seem pretty twisted if the internal logic was "sacrifice an orc, he becomes an ancestor spirit with vested interest in the current affairs, get help from this ancestor spirit with the offer of future reverence."

And I sorta expect twisted internal logic.

 

[Talix]

GAH!

I was getting all set to post great admiration for the awesomeness of the vignettes, and the heroism of the characters, and the general amazingness of the quality and quantity of your writing...

but GAH! :-( Poor Athan. Definitely a heroic death, one that will be long remembered.

...and on that note, can't wait to see the replacement!