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

[seasong]

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.

Olgah petitioned her ancestors for strength, and used that strength as an offering to the wolf spirits. To increase the strength of the deal with the wolves, she sacrificed the other surviving orcs. The armorcat tribe did essentially the same thing.

Among orcs, however, vengeance is a much more powerful "thing" than "help us win this war". Part of Olgah's deal with the wolf spirits was that her comrades would be able to participate in the vengeance.

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."

That would be cool, but an "ancestor spirit" derives its power from that "future reverence". They start weak.

Note: all of this is, I'm sure, going to bring down a horde of questions about the game system for shamans . It's actually the same as for arcanists, healers, espers, etc.

Where the rules differ is that shamans have spells that let them interact with the spirit world, and make bargains with the entities there. It's sort of like when Greppa asks Captain Agina to help him find the Theralis citizens held by the Wolf Bit tribe - the small army she sent with him is vastly out of proportion to any creature he could summon. In BOTH cases, it takes time and effort and promises of various sorts; neither is immediately combat useful, but either can be very powerful with proper preparation.

 

[seasong]

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.

Does that mean no admiration?

 

[Inez Hull]

Athan dead, dang didn't see that coming.

Seasong, don't suppose Meredith got or will get the opportunity to make a sacrifice to Allas like Greppa did to bring back Athan?

 

[Greybar]

You know, there's an important element here that I think divides styles of campaigns. I'm not saying that one way or another is better, but to illustrate and exagerate:

One style of game, generally high-action, ends with dead characters on every odd-numbered episode (maybe every prime-numbered episode). The players let loose a few choice curses and roll up another one.

Another style of game can go for a year or more without a death, and when one comes everyone (including the GM) scrambles for a way to make the death not be permanent as soon as possible. The cast of heroes is essentially constant throughout the story.

A third option is somewhere in the middle. Death is rare, but when it comes it is shocking and permanent. I think this is a great balance - the players know that death is real and a risk, and that hightens the experience. Perhaps the death can be overcome, but it takes a campaign arc of player-months to bring the person back, or comes at the cost of something precious and plot worth (a hero's crown, or their soul).

I think it's a great testament to seasong and his players that all of us readers and hangers-on feel a shock and loss at Athan's passing. If Merideth simply tries to mimic Greppa and succeeded, it would have cheapened both Athan and Merideth. But leaving both Merideth and Greppa in tears is a wonderful ending to that scene (and very Greek tragedy!)

Anyway, end of rambling divergence, move along, move along.

John

 

[Talix]

Graybar - I definitely agree with your analysis. I really don't understand the "kill a character every other session" style of play - don't you invest ANY personal involvement into your characters? But like you said, the other extreme takes away from the enjoyment of the game. Finding the balance is crucial.

For instance right now the current group I game with tends to go too far into the "PCs never die" area. I don't feel even remotely scared for my character very often.

But anyway, yes, admiration and kudos, seasong.

 

[Serpenteye]

But anyway, yes, admiration and kudos, seasong.

Indeed

 

[seasong]

Dreaming

Greppa slipped into dark slumber, still hurting from the loss of his beautiful friend, and found himself standing in bright sunlight, among the pillars of the Kept of Allas. The Stone was on a stone table in the center, and sitting upon the table, a hand lightly laid upon the stone, was Athan. But not Athan as he had died - here he was radiant and calm.

"Hello Greppa, Merideth." And Greppa looked, an Merideth was beside him.

They both ran to him, clasping him in their arms, and he laughed lightly as he hugged them back. Excited words were exchanged without meaning, until his face grew momentarily grave, "Worry not for me, my friends, my purpose is here and it is good. But you must continue to fight in mortal coils."

Merideth, eyes wide, "What do you mean?"

"Our work is not yet done. Allas still has purpose for us, and it must be completed. I... I can not tell you the specifics." And with that, his gaze passed through them to some distant point, soem vision, perhaps, that he saw from the realm of the dead, "I can not tell you that, but I can give you some guidance. There is another servant of Allas, in Aglaonis, whom you should seek out. He will be valuable in coming days."

Greppa furrowed his brow, working hard to think while in a dreamlike state, "What's his name? Where will we find him?"

Athan laughed again, "You will find him. He is guided, as you are."

Greppa and Merideth awoke simultaneously. With the barest minimum of words, they got dressed, and went to find Captain Agina. It was time to go back to Aglaonis.

 

[seasong]

Raising the dead and such is far, far more difficult in Theralis than in standard D&D. The raise dead spell has been bumped to 7th level, and costs the caster a bunch of XP... and Kyriotes, at 11th, is the highest level caster of any sort in Theralis!

As for a sacrifice to Allas, I would expect something like giving her life for his or something similar - the gods don't like to give the dead back. In this sense, Theralis is closer to myth than standard D&D.

There are other ways of bringing someone back, of course. The necromantic gate to Hethas' realm to the far north, for example... but that's a legendary quest, and not one they are quite ready to attempt (especially given the Theralis views on necromancy and the cult near that gate). Greybar's analysis is pretty spot-on, although my campaigns tend to have less PC death, just by virtue of the type of campaign (more politics & relationships, less combat) that I tend to run.

Anyway, thank you all for your wonderful comments!

And Serpenteye, welcome to the readership .

 

[Occam's Nail File]

This is what I get for not reading the thread through most of the week. Poor little Athan. Still, the genuine threat of death occasionally has to be carried through in order to remain genuine...

 

[seasong]

Never posts Mondays,
The wind wills change, but then fades,
Inspiration dies.

Ugh... I'll try again this evening. Suffice it to say, we'll be meeting the new scion of Allas soon .