Welcome to the Halmae (updated 2/27/07)

[spyscribe]

Aw thanks, dpdx.

There's a funny story about the null shadows that came up this game actually. It happened when Fajitas was describing their first appearance.

Imagine, if you will...

Fajitas: And then, out of the shadows of the columns, come two hunched, humanoid figures--
Spyscribe: Oh. So that's a change.
Fajitas: ... No...

You would think that over nearly three years of gaming, and not only gaming, but rehashing those games in this very thread (which involves quite a bit of back and forth between the two of us) somehow this little detail would have been communicated.

And all of a sudden Fajitas figured out why we thought the shadow creatures might have had something to do with the boar-like animals the Miyen elves were being attacked by.

There's a lesson for everyone in there somewhere. I just have no idea what it is.

 

[Starch]

What's this??

What's this?? A cliffhanger... and nothing more to read?! Noooo! The Pain! The pa-a-ain... *sob*

Wonderful Story Hour! I am particularly impressed with how you have created an immersive world and created an environment where each player is heavily invested in their character, Fajitas.

Thank you spyscribe (and others) for such beautiful writing, which brings the story alive.

And kudos to all the people who play in that game. Am I right that most of the party dialogue written into the Story Hour was actually roll-played at the table (the way it should be)??

Did I mention I'm a big fan of sessions that end in cliffhangers?

 

[el-remmen]

I'm not sure I get what you're saying. .. but maybe its because I don't remember the boar-creatures you are talking about. . . did they have to do with the elf-god guy who guarded the pit in the earth for the elves?

Didn't that pit in the ground have null shadows come out of them before?

My memory is fuzzed.

 

[Fajitas]

I'm not sure I get what you're saying. .. but maybe its because I don't remember the boar-creatures you are talking about. . . did they have to do with the elf-god guy who guarded the pit in the earth for the elves?

Didn't that pit in the ground have null shadows come out of them before?

The problem came about because I did not quite fully describe the Null Shadows the first time they appeared. I had, in my head, a clear image of crouching humanoids, with glowing red eyes, long claws, and strangely, snuffling noses. In fact, as I described them, I stoop on my chair, crouched down, and made sniffing, snuffling sounds with little growls.

Creepy and effective, if I don't say so myself.

What I forgot to mention was that they were humanoid.

So the players all saw me crouched down snuffling like an animal, and assumed that the Null Shadows were animal-like creatures, rather than humanoid.

We didn't discover the visualization gap until this session.

Which explained a lot. It explained why, when the Miyen Kai (elven god thing) described the evil nasty boar-like things (the ones that came out of the hole in the ground) to the party, they thought they might be shadowbeasts (Null Shadows). It also explained why, way back during the Mages Academy fire, Spyscribe chose to use the word haunches when describing the creatures. I thought it was an odd choice at the time, but figured "what the heck. Writer's choice."

Now we're all on the same page.



Um, d'arrrrrr.

 

[el-remmen]

Ah! I see!

Yeah, well. .. obviously, I though the elf-guy was talking about Null Shadows as well.

Edit: But oddly, I always thought of the Null Shadows as hunched humanoids.

 

[spyscribe]

Thanks Starch, and welcome.

And kudos to all the people who play in that game. Am I right that most of the party dialogue written into the Story Hour was actually roll-played at the table (the way it should be)??

For the most part, yes. I touch on this in some detail in the promised "table-to-page-to-screen" thread, but my rule of thumb is that if there is a partiuclarly witty, touching, or apt line of dialogue in the story hour... it probably got said at the table.

It makes sense, if the line was that good, it'll stick out. I'll remember it, and so does the reader. We are also fortunate to have a table full of smart and engaged players. The fact that three of us are screenwriters doesn't hurt either.

 

[coyote6]

Edit: But oddly, I always thought of the Null Shadows as hunched humanoids.

I thought of 'em as humanoid; not sure about the hunched part, though.

But I also read about them in Sagiro's story hour, which probably helped shape the image.

Hey, Spyscribe, Fajitas -- are you folks planning on going to Gen Con SoCal this year?

 

[KidCthulhu]

Would killing the Anarcanist dissipate the null shadows?

I can't speak for what modifications Fajitas may have made to his Null Shadows, but as they run in Sagiro's game, no. They just focus on the next highest arcane caster in the room, and if one of those is not available they head for the divine casters.

 

[spyscribe]

Hey, Spyscribe, Fajitas -- are you folks planning on going to Gen Con SoCal this year?

I have no idea. If experience is any guide, I won't know for sure until the Wednesday before the weekend.

 

[dpdx]

I can't speak for what modifications Fajitas may have made to his Null Shadows, but as they run in Sagiro's game, no. They just focus on the next highest arcane caster in the room, and if one of those is not available they head for the divine casters.

Gulp. Maybe they can be banished, or plane shifted.

I always visualize them as a much smaller, wispier version of the Tarrasque, such as they would crouch and grumble like a four-legged beast, and about as easy to kill.

They just lost Lira. It's going to be horrible if they lose Barnabus, but even worse if that null shadow gets to the next strongest arcanist.