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
General Tabletop Discussion
EN Publishing
The chronicles of Team Big-hearted And Determined (B.A.D.)
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="Echolocation" data-source="post: 8654549" data-attributes="member: 7011911"><p>I'll be vague to accommodate whatever research plans go through. I study belief and social change, with a special interest in conspiracy theory belief. I'll let you know more about the research once the ball is rolling!</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Do it! It is incredibly fun. Especially if you can find some way to rope in live footage/commentary. One thing I would do differently is have the audience members vote for the contents of a 'care package' to be teleported on site. Alternatively, the audience could decide on a monster to be unleashed on the party. Or an adorable animal companion.</p><p></p><p>You were very well-mannered to simply disrupt the relay instead of using it for your own nefarious deeds. Think of all the sporting events you could subtly rig and profit. Soon, that god-blessed hot tub could be yours.</p><p></p><p><strong>Exploration Extreme - Live at Nalaam (Part 3, The Finale)</strong></p><p></p><p>The city of Pulstov was dying. For centuries, screams of Marblemaw's sacrifices could be heard from the un-roofed central spire of the city. But for 50,000 forgefires (Pulstov's metric for days), the spire was silent. Now, the screams echo meekly from the marbled breath that encompasses most city districts. One remains, standing tall above the shadows: the church district. The party followed Mawmaster Toma to the infernal halls that have defied the shadow. But the church was not spared from the judgement above. Brimstone had rained from the sky, blocking the temple's entrance. The mountain itself threatened to crack open, rupturing the church's foundation with massive fissures. Lightning crackled overhead, illuminating the few dozen dwarf survivors gathered before the church and the few hundred fallen citizens and sentinels, the lifeless flesh once imbued with Marblemaw's power. As the party arrived, the survivors took a knee in front of their Mawmaster, desperate for answers. She explained that if anyone had answers, it would be the Radomil the Marbletongue, he who speaks for the Marblemaw. Unfortunately, the Marbletongue was trapped inside of his church. </p><p></p><p>One of the survivors, a dwarven engineer, highlighted the three options for infiltrating the church: moving the boulder, scaling the building and entering through the roof, or entering a fissure and climbing into the church. Wazasha instructed the party that the audience will vote on each option, but the party may always go their own way. She opened her holographic wristband, projecting a count of spectator votes for each option. As the dwarf explained the hazards of each approach, the votes for that approach surged. Entering the fissure won the popular vote, and the party followed suit.</p><p></p><p>Before climbing into the fissure, Wazasha pulled Lorenz into the booth. Like Ulek, Lorenz was difficult to stir up. He also genuinely seemed to believe he was a kobold (as he was raised by such). Despite not earning many fans in the booth, Lorenz attained his fame by impressive acts, such as speaking the language of the dwarves and skipping with the steamy Ulek.</p><p></p><p>Next, the party descended into the fissure. At the bottom of the descent pooled strange, viscous liquid. This was the spacetime of the demi-plane becoming liquified into a malleable form. Upon contact, roughly half the party began to move and talk quickly, as if under the effects of <em>haste</em>. Some other members moved and talked slowly. The players had great fun roleplaying this. The production crew followed the party by professionally rappelling down the fissure. They did the same when the party ascended the figure into the temple. As the party climbed, the time-distortion effects wore off.</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]250205[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>In the blood-lit temple, rain poured through the destroyed roof. Ziz scraped blood off a nearby alter (...<em>for science</em>). Meanwhile, Lorenz opened the northern double doors. The bard quickly found Marbletongue, trapped under a fallen beam, groaning for help. Ulek and Lorenz free the dwarf, who immediately scolds them: "You did not bargain for my life. You must be some demon-forsaken do-gooders." The half-orc responded sadly: "I would have just accepted a thank you."</p><p></p><p>The Marbletongue was insulted by the presence of forbidden outsiders. He yelled that the intruders must be vanquished. Then, a nearby blood well began to gurgle. The party turned in fear as a monstrosity pulled itself from the depths below. A sentinel of two torsos stitched together emerged and reached for the party. Then, it barely managed to grown with it's two eyeless heads "I...was....an....optional...encounter..." before falling flat, lifeless.</p><p></p><p>At this point, Mawmaster Toma and her crew manage to enter the church. Marbletongue is furious at Toma. He claimed disaster had befallen Pulstov because the Mawmaster hesitated to sacrifice the cursed-eyed Timur. The Marbletongue explains that there is a tradition of sacrificing the 5% of children born with white eyes, long ago decreed by the Marblemaw. In truth, these are children who rolled a natural 20 on their will save to see through the demi-planes illusory nature. Marblemaw knew such children would likely disrupt his experimental demi-plane, so ordered them killed. The Mawmaster birthed such an atrocity, Timur, but hesitated to sacrifice him. Initially, she had hoped for redemption, and sent her son to study under the Marbletongue. Timur proved too deviant, scalding Pulstov and its master, so she eventually did sacrifice him devotion to her demonic patron. She still wears Timur's preserved finger as an amulet as a reminder of her faith. The Mawmaster is in despair, if she has wronged the Mawmaster, why must he punish his devout followers? Daximus the Sceptic piped up claiming that all of this is consistent with the underlying truth that the Marblemaw has no power. Lorenz jumped in, telling the Marbletongue he knows nothing, he's just a tongue! Ulek, Ziz, and Lam sit on a nearby beam, whilst the adults argue. The Marbletongue scolded Daximus, and claimed the problem was that Pulstov was not devout enough. It was time for another sacrifice to prove Pulstov's devotion, and who better than the forbidden intruders? The party took issue with this. With an excellent diplomacy roll and several successful aid another actions, Lorenz convinced the surviving dwarves that the Marbletongue should be sacrificed instead. As the head cleric was dragged off to the sacrificial blood well, the Mawmaster spoke somberly: if anyone had offended the Marblemaw then it was her, and she wished to confront her god and ask why he’d done what he had to Pulstov. She asked us the party come with her. The party jumped into a pool of blood - along with gagged and bound Radomil, the Mawmaster, Daximus the Sceptic (who expects to find nothing), and a production crew.</p><p></p><p>The party emerged in a dark, bloodstained tunnel. Wazasha quickly pulls Simon into the booth, who presented himself rather modestly. He seemed unphased by Lorenz's teasing, much to Wazasha's disappointment. Then, the party set off down the tunnel, as Lam sprayed blood with every flap of his wings. Deeper in the tunnel the party find large scratch marks and scorched portions of the walls. Here, Toma's antipaladin powers begin to fade with her faith. In truth, the demi-plane is collapsing and can no longer sustain the divine powers of Marblemaw's followers.</p><p></p><p>The keep is strange, lacking the furniture and decadence expected from a demonic lord. Along the walls are platforms at various heights. A pile of dwarven bones lay scattered along the walls, accompanied by empty chests and other corpses, human? Once armed with swords and shields, these skeletons each have a finger draped in melted gold (Ob agents with golden rings). Perhaps the most pressing detail is the headless dragon skeleton.</p><p></p><p>A sickly dwarf with white eyes emerged on a platform 30 feet above the ground. His hand, which misses a finger, clutched a staff of simple copper, topped with a complex orb of marble plates that shift, back-lit by some supernatural light originating from its center. This orb is a key to controlling the demi-plane, though the dwarf that wields it does not know it's full power. When the dwarf finally spoke, he spoke with the voice of a choir: "You are no dwarves".</p><p></p><p>“I saw this world for what it is. Not material, but magical. Have you not seen it’s strangeness? This world once made sense, but it has turned on itself. It is failing, no longer sustained by the magic that once flowed from beneath it. The breath, the beautiful breath, repurposes the remnant life, but repurposing is wasteful, and it is only a matter before the breath comes for us all. I know it, for I have steered its direction. I enjoyed my watch from this keep, the occasional scream as a child is plunged back into the dark void from which it was plucked. And for some time, I thought I would be the last creature consumed. But now, you '<em>confounds' </em>have carved a way out for me. And I will trace it out of this world, through the forbidden membrane, and to the true world that awaits!”</p><p></p><p>Timur stretches his arms to the heavens, and the screams of dwarves can be heard outside. Suddenly, a skeletal object behind Timur lurches forward, scooping him up. It is the skull of a dragon, with a jaw made of solid, black stone. Accompanying the dwarf are two identical versions of Timur, each armed with an identical staff that they point in your direction. The skull veers downwards, flying unnaturally in the air, and the dwarven bones near the party begin to stir.</p><p></p><p>“Come, mother and her friends. Do not look so grim! There is one demonic teaching I understood well: that the body should be of stone. Fear not, my heart is not soft with forgiveness. I have rejoiced in my mother’s paralytic suffering as the breath encompassed all. The slow clasp on the throat of the city. Just as you, mother, tortured me for years, sending me to train under the Marbletongue. Fear not! Fear not mother! Your demise will be quick!”</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]250206[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>Timur has legitimately cloned himself with the power of the demi-plane, and has reversed life to allow the deceased dragon skull to fly and breathe flame, and the dead sacrifices to resurrect and fight for him. Though, the magic is costly, the demi-plane is being drained of its last reserves, like a sponge wrung out for the last drop of water. The laws of physics are failing, and each round I rolled a 1d10 to see what strange effect occurred. Here is the table for the interested. For this combat, Ulek and Ziz swapped bodies, the party became confused, and winds picked up. Throughout the combat, screams could be heard from outside the keep, as Pulstov was being torn apart for all the latent energy it had.</p><p></p><p><strong>The end of time. </strong>Roll a 1d10, if the result is:</p><p>1. Two PCs switch bodies for one round</p><p>2. A cloud of daggers rains from the sky (2d6 reflex save DC 13 for half). Target: everyone.</p><p>3. Time slows down, everyone (including enemies) are staggered</p><p>4. Gravity is shifted either north/south/east/west (1d4), everyone moves 30 feet in that direction. 1d6 damage if hitting a wall.</p><p>5. Butterflies heavily obscure a 30 foot area (as per <em>obscuring mist</em>)</p><p>6. Everyone changes size, either enlarged or reduced</p><p>7. Lighting (2d6 reflex DC 15 for half) reigns down in 25% of areas (1d4). If struck, metallic weapons deal an addition 1d6 electricity damage</p><p>8. Will save on one random person, else they become confused (DC 15). New save each round.</p><p>9. Wind surrounds each person, giving a +4 AC to ranged attacks</p><p>10. A burst of speed affects one PC, giving them haste for one round</p><p></p><p>Some crew was lost as collateral damage, but all the dwarves survived. Simon finished off the last Timur with a stylish explosion. Then, the shadow that had swallowed the city began swallowing the room keep too. There was nowhere or time to run. Wazasha screamed at her crew to continue filming, Ulek spoke heavily "I love you, mum", and Ziz turns to her animal companion and quietly speaks in Goblin "You're a good bird, Lam. Thanks." The darkness covered the party and then turned into something else: a stone room with many numbered orbs. One particular orb on a pedestal in front of us. A monotone, emotionless voice (robotic, in modern terms) began speaking. It described the end of the simulation the party had been in, how long it had been running for, and problems encountered along the way. Apparently it failed because of a lack of mana to power it. It was begun in -900 Before Our Victory by a dragon who built its lair beneath the Penance Peaks and created its own experimental demiplanes, each with a particular scenario playing out within.</p><p></p><p>[SPOILER="Verbatim Orb Output"]</p><p>Simulation #20,553</p><p>Dwarven Followers of Arsha-Hish: A Study into the Religious Fervour</p><p>Circa: -900 Before Our Victory</p><p>Simulation demi-plane initiated t minus 300 years.</p><p>Status: Simulation terminating.</p><p>ALERT: ERROR! Immediate repair required. Link to earth mana reservoir severed. Repairs required to sustain simulation. Error logged at t minus 137 years.</p><p>ALERT: ERROR! Recycling protocols enacted. Dissolve low priority experimental features to sustain core aspects.</p><p>ISSUE! Administrator last logged in 100 years ago. Issue logged at t minus 37 years.</p><p>NOTICE! Administrator log in at t minus 3 years.</p><p>ERROR! External influence detected. Confounding variables threaten experimental validity. Error logged at t minus 4 hours.</p><p>ERROR! Control measures enacted. Error logged at t minus 4 hours.</p><p>ERROR! Experiment unsustainable. Recycling protocols have cascaded. Magical reservoir levels critical. Experiment will be terminated in approximately three years. Error logged at t minus 3 hours.</p><p>ERROR! Magical reservoir levels channelled at above-average levels. Experiment unsustainable. Termination of demi-plane initiated. Ejection imminent!</p><p>[/SPOILER]</p><p></p><p>Ziz triumphantly declared: "I <strong>knew </strong>it was fake!"</p><p>Ulek questioned: "What's a simulation?"</p><p>To which Lorenz responded, "A type of story, bro."</p><p>Ziz added "An experiment!"</p><p></p><p>Wazasha commanded the party to gather for one final, triumphant shot before she sternly declared: “and that’s a wrap!” Her skeleton crew take a few final shots of the scenery, before they packed their equipment. Wazasha asked aloud, “How about we hear how they’re wrapping up the event in the arena?” She activated her magical armband, which played the live audio feed of Zo!, who shouted excitedly: "What a discovery! What a destination! What a band of unlikely heroes! What could lie deeper in the Penance Peaks? Find out on the next episode of <em>Exploration Extreme! </em>when our heroes return to—"</p><p>"What?" shouted the party's lawyer Dallatonna with alarm from near Zo!’s microphone. "That was not part of our deal, Zo! You can’t just add a sequel when we haven’t—"</p><p>Zo!’s voice insistently cut back in. “Ha ha! And now a word from our sponsors!”</p><p></p><p>A booming add for Scorched Earth blared out of Wazasha’s armband before she deactivated the device, rolled her eyes, and commented that “With all of these advertisements, you have surely paid back your debt to Nalaam.” She then ordered her team to retrace their steps. The party venture back through a wide chasm, filled with hundreds of shelves housing marbled orbs. A few dismayed dwarves accompany them, unsure of what awaits them. Toma gulped as she crosses the metallic membrane. Eventually, the party make their way back to the portal. They exchange a look with the dwarves, who have turned to face their now-evaporated homeland. They then turned back to the portal, took a breath, and stepped through.</p><p></p><p>A montage of scenes briefly shows that the party enjoyed temporary fame in Nalaam for a few weeks before the public eye turned elsewhere. Ziz’s fame was of the negative kind: people staying far away from the explosive, erratic medic. Once fading into obscurity, Ziz was once again on the lam, both figuratively and literally.</p><p></p><p>If this was a movie, the final montage shot would end in a burst of white light. Then, after a few seconds, the white light fades. In this scene, Simon sat, idly stirring his bowl of ashes and spaghetti. He managed to curl a thick, red strand of spaghetti around his fork, a surprising find given he cooks his pasta without water. A distant voice echoed in his head, indecipherable, but slowly getting louder and clearer. The voice, now loud and clear, shook Simon out of his own head. "Agent Simon, do uncurl my whisker. It is not very professional of you."</p><p> </p><p>Simon immediately dropped his fork, and looked down at his ashes to find the head of his spymaster, El Extraño. "Excellent work, Simon. You executed my plan just as intended. I had long suspected the scientist dragon below this city had been slain. Another failed tyrant toppled. Unfortunately, the disturbance of a magical reservoirs suggests the ziggurat of Urim below Nalaam has been tampered with, likely by the Obscurati. Do not be impressed, Simon. The melted rings on the human skeletons within the keep demonstrate the Obscurati were successful in their to destroy the ziggurat’s keeper, though incurred causalities. As for missions, Simon, your next will be overseas. Have you heard the Clergy tale of Jonah?"</p><p></p><p>The scene fades to black.</p><p></p><p>(Simon will make a return appearance in Adventure 10, after infiltrating Axis Island via an undead whale.)</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Echolocation, post: 8654549, member: 7011911"] I'll be vague to accommodate whatever research plans go through. I study belief and social change, with a special interest in conspiracy theory belief. I'll let you know more about the research once the ball is rolling! Do it! It is incredibly fun. Especially if you can find some way to rope in live footage/commentary. One thing I would do differently is have the audience members vote for the contents of a 'care package' to be teleported on site. Alternatively, the audience could decide on a monster to be unleashed on the party. Or an adorable animal companion. You were very well-mannered to simply disrupt the relay instead of using it for your own nefarious deeds. Think of all the sporting events you could subtly rig and profit. Soon, that god-blessed hot tub could be yours. [B]Exploration Extreme - Live at Nalaam (Part 3, The Finale)[/B] The city of Pulstov was dying. For centuries, screams of Marblemaw's sacrifices could be heard from the un-roofed central spire of the city. But for 50,000 forgefires (Pulstov's metric for days), the spire was silent. Now, the screams echo meekly from the marbled breath that encompasses most city districts. One remains, standing tall above the shadows: the church district. The party followed Mawmaster Toma to the infernal halls that have defied the shadow. But the church was not spared from the judgement above. Brimstone had rained from the sky, blocking the temple's entrance. The mountain itself threatened to crack open, rupturing the church's foundation with massive fissures. Lightning crackled overhead, illuminating the few dozen dwarf survivors gathered before the church and the few hundred fallen citizens and sentinels, the lifeless flesh once imbued with Marblemaw's power. As the party arrived, the survivors took a knee in front of their Mawmaster, desperate for answers. She explained that if anyone had answers, it would be the Radomil the Marbletongue, he who speaks for the Marblemaw. Unfortunately, the Marbletongue was trapped inside of his church. One of the survivors, a dwarven engineer, highlighted the three options for infiltrating the church: moving the boulder, scaling the building and entering through the roof, or entering a fissure and climbing into the church. Wazasha instructed the party that the audience will vote on each option, but the party may always go their own way. She opened her holographic wristband, projecting a count of spectator votes for each option. As the dwarf explained the hazards of each approach, the votes for that approach surged. Entering the fissure won the popular vote, and the party followed suit. Before climbing into the fissure, Wazasha pulled Lorenz into the booth. Like Ulek, Lorenz was difficult to stir up. He also genuinely seemed to believe he was a kobold (as he was raised by such). Despite not earning many fans in the booth, Lorenz attained his fame by impressive acts, such as speaking the language of the dwarves and skipping with the steamy Ulek. Next, the party descended into the fissure. At the bottom of the descent pooled strange, viscous liquid. This was the spacetime of the demi-plane becoming liquified into a malleable form. Upon contact, roughly half the party began to move and talk quickly, as if under the effects of [I]haste[/I]. Some other members moved and talked slowly. The players had great fun roleplaying this. The production crew followed the party by professionally rappelling down the fissure. They did the same when the party ascended the figure into the temple. As the party climbed, the time-distortion effects wore off. [ATTACH type="full"]250205[/ATTACH] In the blood-lit temple, rain poured through the destroyed roof. Ziz scraped blood off a nearby alter (...[I]for science[/I]). Meanwhile, Lorenz opened the northern double doors. The bard quickly found Marbletongue, trapped under a fallen beam, groaning for help. Ulek and Lorenz free the dwarf, who immediately scolds them: "You did not bargain for my life. You must be some demon-forsaken do-gooders." The half-orc responded sadly: "I would have just accepted a thank you." The Marbletongue was insulted by the presence of forbidden outsiders. He yelled that the intruders must be vanquished. Then, a nearby blood well began to gurgle. The party turned in fear as a monstrosity pulled itself from the depths below. A sentinel of two torsos stitched together emerged and reached for the party. Then, it barely managed to grown with it's two eyeless heads "I...was....an....optional...encounter..." before falling flat, lifeless. At this point, Mawmaster Toma and her crew manage to enter the church. Marbletongue is furious at Toma. He claimed disaster had befallen Pulstov because the Mawmaster hesitated to sacrifice the cursed-eyed Timur. The Marbletongue explains that there is a tradition of sacrificing the 5% of children born with white eyes, long ago decreed by the Marblemaw. In truth, these are children who rolled a natural 20 on their will save to see through the demi-planes illusory nature. Marblemaw knew such children would likely disrupt his experimental demi-plane, so ordered them killed. The Mawmaster birthed such an atrocity, Timur, but hesitated to sacrifice him. Initially, she had hoped for redemption, and sent her son to study under the Marbletongue. Timur proved too deviant, scalding Pulstov and its master, so she eventually did sacrifice him devotion to her demonic patron. She still wears Timur's preserved finger as an amulet as a reminder of her faith. The Mawmaster is in despair, if she has wronged the Mawmaster, why must he punish his devout followers? Daximus the Sceptic piped up claiming that all of this is consistent with the underlying truth that the Marblemaw has no power. Lorenz jumped in, telling the Marbletongue he knows nothing, he's just a tongue! Ulek, Ziz, and Lam sit on a nearby beam, whilst the adults argue. The Marbletongue scolded Daximus, and claimed the problem was that Pulstov was not devout enough. It was time for another sacrifice to prove Pulstov's devotion, and who better than the forbidden intruders? The party took issue with this. With an excellent diplomacy roll and several successful aid another actions, Lorenz convinced the surviving dwarves that the Marbletongue should be sacrificed instead. As the head cleric was dragged off to the sacrificial blood well, the Mawmaster spoke somberly: if anyone had offended the Marblemaw then it was her, and she wished to confront her god and ask why he’d done what he had to Pulstov. She asked us the party come with her. The party jumped into a pool of blood - along with gagged and bound Radomil, the Mawmaster, Daximus the Sceptic (who expects to find nothing), and a production crew. The party emerged in a dark, bloodstained tunnel. Wazasha quickly pulls Simon into the booth, who presented himself rather modestly. He seemed unphased by Lorenz's teasing, much to Wazasha's disappointment. Then, the party set off down the tunnel, as Lam sprayed blood with every flap of his wings. Deeper in the tunnel the party find large scratch marks and scorched portions of the walls. Here, Toma's antipaladin powers begin to fade with her faith. In truth, the demi-plane is collapsing and can no longer sustain the divine powers of Marblemaw's followers. The keep is strange, lacking the furniture and decadence expected from a demonic lord. Along the walls are platforms at various heights. A pile of dwarven bones lay scattered along the walls, accompanied by empty chests and other corpses, human? Once armed with swords and shields, these skeletons each have a finger draped in melted gold (Ob agents with golden rings). Perhaps the most pressing detail is the headless dragon skeleton. A sickly dwarf with white eyes emerged on a platform 30 feet above the ground. His hand, which misses a finger, clutched a staff of simple copper, topped with a complex orb of marble plates that shift, back-lit by some supernatural light originating from its center. This orb is a key to controlling the demi-plane, though the dwarf that wields it does not know it's full power. When the dwarf finally spoke, he spoke with the voice of a choir: "You are no dwarves". “I saw this world for what it is. Not material, but magical. Have you not seen it’s strangeness? This world once made sense, but it has turned on itself. It is failing, no longer sustained by the magic that once flowed from beneath it. The breath, the beautiful breath, repurposes the remnant life, but repurposing is wasteful, and it is only a matter before the breath comes for us all. I know it, for I have steered its direction. I enjoyed my watch from this keep, the occasional scream as a child is plunged back into the dark void from which it was plucked. And for some time, I thought I would be the last creature consumed. But now, you '[I]confounds' [/I]have carved a way out for me. And I will trace it out of this world, through the forbidden membrane, and to the true world that awaits!” Timur stretches his arms to the heavens, and the screams of dwarves can be heard outside. Suddenly, a skeletal object behind Timur lurches forward, scooping him up. It is the skull of a dragon, with a jaw made of solid, black stone. Accompanying the dwarf are two identical versions of Timur, each armed with an identical staff that they point in your direction. The skull veers downwards, flying unnaturally in the air, and the dwarven bones near the party begin to stir. “Come, mother and her friends. Do not look so grim! There is one demonic teaching I understood well: that the body should be of stone. Fear not, my heart is not soft with forgiveness. I have rejoiced in my mother’s paralytic suffering as the breath encompassed all. The slow clasp on the throat of the city. Just as you, mother, tortured me for years, sending me to train under the Marbletongue. Fear not! Fear not mother! Your demise will be quick!” [ATTACH type="full"]250206[/ATTACH] Timur has legitimately cloned himself with the power of the demi-plane, and has reversed life to allow the deceased dragon skull to fly and breathe flame, and the dead sacrifices to resurrect and fight for him. Though, the magic is costly, the demi-plane is being drained of its last reserves, like a sponge wrung out for the last drop of water. The laws of physics are failing, and each round I rolled a 1d10 to see what strange effect occurred. Here is the table for the interested. For this combat, Ulek and Ziz swapped bodies, the party became confused, and winds picked up. Throughout the combat, screams could be heard from outside the keep, as Pulstov was being torn apart for all the latent energy it had. [B]The end of time. [/B]Roll a 1d10, if the result is: 1. Two PCs switch bodies for one round 2. A cloud of daggers rains from the sky (2d6 reflex save DC 13 for half). Target: everyone. 3. Time slows down, everyone (including enemies) are staggered 4. Gravity is shifted either north/south/east/west (1d4), everyone moves 30 feet in that direction. 1d6 damage if hitting a wall. 5. Butterflies heavily obscure a 30 foot area (as per [I]obscuring mist[/I]) 6. Everyone changes size, either enlarged or reduced 7. Lighting (2d6 reflex DC 15 for half) reigns down in 25% of areas (1d4). If struck, metallic weapons deal an addition 1d6 electricity damage 8. Will save on one random person, else they become confused (DC 15). New save each round. 9. Wind surrounds each person, giving a +4 AC to ranged attacks 10. A burst of speed affects one PC, giving them haste for one round Some crew was lost as collateral damage, but all the dwarves survived. Simon finished off the last Timur with a stylish explosion. Then, the shadow that had swallowed the city began swallowing the room keep too. There was nowhere or time to run. Wazasha screamed at her crew to continue filming, Ulek spoke heavily "I love you, mum", and Ziz turns to her animal companion and quietly speaks in Goblin "You're a good bird, Lam. Thanks." The darkness covered the party and then turned into something else: a stone room with many numbered orbs. One particular orb on a pedestal in front of us. A monotone, emotionless voice (robotic, in modern terms) began speaking. It described the end of the simulation the party had been in, how long it had been running for, and problems encountered along the way. Apparently it failed because of a lack of mana to power it. It was begun in -900 Before Our Victory by a dragon who built its lair beneath the Penance Peaks and created its own experimental demiplanes, each with a particular scenario playing out within. [SPOILER="Verbatim Orb Output"] Simulation #20,553 Dwarven Followers of Arsha-Hish: A Study into the Religious Fervour Circa: -900 Before Our Victory Simulation demi-plane initiated t minus 300 years. Status: Simulation terminating. ALERT: ERROR! Immediate repair required. Link to earth mana reservoir severed. Repairs required to sustain simulation. Error logged at t minus 137 years. ALERT: ERROR! Recycling protocols enacted. Dissolve low priority experimental features to sustain core aspects. ISSUE! Administrator last logged in 100 years ago. Issue logged at t minus 37 years. NOTICE! Administrator log in at t minus 3 years. ERROR! External influence detected. Confounding variables threaten experimental validity. Error logged at t minus 4 hours. ERROR! Control measures enacted. Error logged at t minus 4 hours. ERROR! Experiment unsustainable. Recycling protocols have cascaded. Magical reservoir levels critical. Experiment will be terminated in approximately three years. Error logged at t minus 3 hours. ERROR! Magical reservoir levels channelled at above-average levels. Experiment unsustainable. Termination of demi-plane initiated. Ejection imminent! [/SPOILER] Ziz triumphantly declared: "I [B]knew [/B]it was fake!" Ulek questioned: "What's a simulation?" To which Lorenz responded, "A type of story, bro." Ziz added "An experiment!" Wazasha commanded the party to gather for one final, triumphant shot before she sternly declared: “and that’s a wrap!” Her skeleton crew take a few final shots of the scenery, before they packed their equipment. Wazasha asked aloud, “How about we hear how they’re wrapping up the event in the arena?” She activated her magical armband, which played the live audio feed of Zo!, who shouted excitedly: "What a discovery! What a destination! What a band of unlikely heroes! What could lie deeper in the Penance Peaks? Find out on the next episode of [I]Exploration Extreme! [/I]when our heroes return to—" "What?" shouted the party's lawyer Dallatonna with alarm from near Zo!’s microphone. "That was not part of our deal, Zo! You can’t just add a sequel when we haven’t—" Zo!’s voice insistently cut back in. “Ha ha! And now a word from our sponsors!” A booming add for Scorched Earth blared out of Wazasha’s armband before she deactivated the device, rolled her eyes, and commented that “With all of these advertisements, you have surely paid back your debt to Nalaam.” She then ordered her team to retrace their steps. The party venture back through a wide chasm, filled with hundreds of shelves housing marbled orbs. A few dismayed dwarves accompany them, unsure of what awaits them. Toma gulped as she crosses the metallic membrane. Eventually, the party make their way back to the portal. They exchange a look with the dwarves, who have turned to face their now-evaporated homeland. They then turned back to the portal, took a breath, and stepped through. A montage of scenes briefly shows that the party enjoyed temporary fame in Nalaam for a few weeks before the public eye turned elsewhere. Ziz’s fame was of the negative kind: people staying far away from the explosive, erratic medic. Once fading into obscurity, Ziz was once again on the lam, both figuratively and literally. If this was a movie, the final montage shot would end in a burst of white light. Then, after a few seconds, the white light fades. In this scene, Simon sat, idly stirring his bowl of ashes and spaghetti. He managed to curl a thick, red strand of spaghetti around his fork, a surprising find given he cooks his pasta without water. A distant voice echoed in his head, indecipherable, but slowly getting louder and clearer. The voice, now loud and clear, shook Simon out of his own head. "Agent Simon, do uncurl my whisker. It is not very professional of you." Simon immediately dropped his fork, and looked down at his ashes to find the head of his spymaster, El Extraño. "Excellent work, Simon. You executed my plan just as intended. I had long suspected the scientist dragon below this city had been slain. Another failed tyrant toppled. Unfortunately, the disturbance of a magical reservoirs suggests the ziggurat of Urim below Nalaam has been tampered with, likely by the Obscurati. Do not be impressed, Simon. The melted rings on the human skeletons within the keep demonstrate the Obscurati were successful in their to destroy the ziggurat’s keeper, though incurred causalities. As for missions, Simon, your next will be overseas. Have you heard the Clergy tale of Jonah?" The scene fades to black. (Simon will make a return appearance in Adventure 10, after infiltrating Axis Island via an undead whale.) [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
EN Publishing
The chronicles of Team Big-hearted And Determined (B.A.D.)
Top