There's quite a bit that can be said about peace. There had been 100 years of it in the Free Kingdoms. Did it make us complacent? Perhaps, perhaps not, but all I know is that we weren't prepared for the elves, and we certainly weren't prepared for what happened tonight.
I had arrived in Ghostwood keep late in the day with Ili. A group from the Spire and Lyr arrived at the same time as well. We were immediately ushered in to a tower that housed all the people from the Free Kingdoms. Another tower nearby apparently housed the Devoronians. I entered the common room and sat about for a few hours, while Ili went off to perform her incessant proselytizing elsewhere in the keep. It was curious that none of the people in the room gave off a bad aura. I would have expected a least a few of them to have been pickpockets of some sort. The only character of note was a funny little man that certainly didn't belong in a tavern full of humans.
I went to talk to him a bit, to see what he was up. He seemed quite dodgy and evasive, as well as ill-mannered. He would barely tell me that his name was Borrow. I was about to tell him a thing or two about civility before a Lyran fellow stepped in and explained that Borrow had arrived with a group of Dwarves a few days back and was travelling with them to the Keep, and that Borrow was a decent enough fellow. It wasn't quite good enough for me, but I also didn't want to appear to question the Lyran's judgement, so I stepped away and continued to keep an eye on Borrow.
The negotiations between the elves and humans continued long into the night. I surmised that things must have not been going to well, so I retired for the evening. At around midnight, a commotion woke me up. All I heard was something about the delegation being assassinated and that trechery was afoot. I called for Ili, and she helped me strap on my armor as quickly as possible. I grabbed my weapons and ran out into the courtyard. I ran toward the center tower and talked with the guards there about letting us in. After showing our Archabcht symbols, they let us through.
We were looking for the Commander of the keep, who was waiting on the third floor. The place was like a maze, and it took us a while to find the room, on our way, we found the negotiations room where the massacre took place. There was lots of blood, but it appeared as if the bodies had been moved away. We went toward the other end of the keep, where we bumped into someone named Obegard. He said that he was from the Spire, and that he also needed to speak with the commander, so we let him come along. We finally found the commander, and he explained to us what had happened. He said that an unknown number of assassins had gained entrance into the keep, and that they were disguised as the guards. It didn't bode well for us, and I said that Ili and I could go and sweep the tower and look over everyone's aura. However, at that point we were interrupted by several soldiers who entered the room. When asked why they were there, they drew strange looking blades and attacked.
The fight was short but fierce, as we were fighting, Borrow seemingly appeared out of nowhere and struck one of the assailants. I don't know how he was able to follow us, but I was still glad that we had some help fighting these assasins off. During the fight, the commander was hurt badly, but I was able to heal him back to his feet after the fight was over. We searched the corpses of the assasins, and found a note of some sort. Obegard looked it over and could not figure it out, but Borrow somehow did. He said that the a piece of the note was missing. Puzzled, we walked downstairs to collect another blade from one of the assassins that had been killed later. Obegard said that he could use a spell to help locate more of the same blades, but that it could only find the closest one, so that we'd need to collect all that we could find, and take it far away.
When we were about to do so, however, we heard a tremendous explosion, and we ran out to see what it was. Someone had attacked the Church of Albrecht, setting of an explosion that surely must have killed everyone that was inside. We ran over to find that only one person had made it out. He was an adept that was assigned to guarding the door. I now suspect that he might have had something to do with it all, because his escape seemed all too miraculous. I resolved to question him more carefully the next day.
As we were heading back into the keep, an elf suddenly leapt out of the shadows and attacked us, yelling that there would be no peace. He moved as quick as a blur, and I didn't even have time to react before he knocked me and Ili unconscious, then quick as a blur again, he disappeared before the others could summon help. I don't know why he didn't kill us both when he easily could have done so. But no matter what, we had to continue with our task. Just then, we hear yet another commotion. This time, someone had attacked the Lyran delegation, killing all but the Son of Clouds. Fortunately, we arrived just in time to stabilize them before attempting to chase after the killers. By following Obegard, we were able to locate a secret passageway in the stables that led out of the keep. That must have been where they came from.
We returned to the central keep and talked again with the commander. As we were heading out, we passed by the prison and saw that the two guards standing outside had been slaughtered! We quickly entered the prison, and though the assassins were under an invisibility of some sort, I was still able to locate their aura, and they appeared to have been waiting in ambush. I motioned for the others to back up, and I was about to strike one of them, but they must have sensed what I was about to do and attacked. Fortunately, their strikes hit my armor, and I quickly returned with a powerful strike that killed one of them. Just then, I saw that Ili was in trouble, so I cast a spell that compelled the assassin attacking her to become paralyzed. Afterwards, she was easily able to finish him off. We cleaned up the rest of them, but discovered that the elven prisoner was missing! I wasn't sure why they'd go through all that trouble to spring him out. We found another note on one of the bodies. It seemed to be enough for Borrow to figure things out. It sounded from the note that whoever was responsible was neither working for the Elves or the Deveronians. There was a lot to puzzle out. Was the Cult involved, or perhaps a splinter faction within the Kingdoms? Why would an elf help the others, who were all humans? What information was it that the prisoner elf had that was so important they'd risk so much to get him out? And most importantly, no one could have executed such an elaborate plan without inside help. Who were the ones I could trust? Perhaps no one.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Obegard: A Rude Awakening
As they say back home, Bigby's Unapproachable Dung-heap has hit the Wind Fan. And I can't make any sense of any of it.
It's been less than half a day since I got here, and both my mission and this peace process are in tattered shreds. Will there still be hope for peace in the morning? Will the keep still stand in the morning? Will I wake up in the morning? I can't answer these questions, but I must sleep soon regardless if I'm to be of any use.
I came here with too many expectations, too much rigidity, too sure of myself and the parameters of the situation. I thought I was flexible enough, thought I'd look around, adapt to the circumstances, respond to my Master's wishes, and generally not get too involved. I had no idea that I'd get entangled like this, and was totally unprepared for this experience of dread, destruction, and futility.
When the alarms sounded, somehow I must have thought I could handle it myself. That's the only explanation for failing to wake my companions, my fellow wizards. Where are they, anyway? Did they block themselves inside, block out the screams? Did they try to help the Llyrians? As I still I don't understand my own actions, I don't trust that I can predict theirs.
Somehow the nature of my mission (it seems ridiculous to call an observer's discretion "secrecy" now, with terrible evil plots afoot) led me to unwise arrogance; I thought I should handle it alone, to see what I could see, to observe and correlate and decide and report. But apparently that's not how it works here, when worlds collide and there's no time to think. In hindsight, investigating the clamor alone was an incredibly foolish move. Fortunately, chance led me to collide (almost literally) with three other investigators. And what interesting individuals they are!
Malakar, at least, makes sense to me. He seems a straightforward and ordered man, pragmatic and focused. His facility with divine magic and his massive greatsword were both key to our survival this night. Although I don't share his dedication to Albrecht, I trusted him almost immediately as a champion of humanity and order. I was grateful for the presence of at least one person without secrets, one strong presence devoid of mystery.
I'm not nearly so sure about Ili. There's something a little scary about her zeal; or is it her appearance I'm responding to? Her force of will, the way she pummelled the armed and armored assassins with her bare hands, the flashes of anger in her eyes that spoke of righteous destruction -- they all make me want to back away a bit. Most of all, the sense that if one associated with her long enough, the sheer force of her love for Albrecht might override one's logical dispassion. On the other hand, she seemed a capable leader when everything went crazy... as long as she's occupied with a shared enemy, it's good to be with her. I just wouldn't want to be around her when she's bored and looking for somebody to convert.
At least you know where these religious types stand. When it comes to the short guy -- Borrow -- I know hardly anything at all.
I don't know where he's from, what he's doing here, how he came by his incredible abilities to move and hide. I've never seen anybody move like that, and I've never failed to see anybody move in the same way that I somehow (more than once) couldn't pin down his exact position or path. I'm embarrassed to admit my distress at the foolishness I felt every time I talked to him. It's been years since anybody at the spire made me feel like such a dullard! Yet I don't think his intent was prideful; it's as if he's from another world, and things which are subtle or tricky for me to grasp are obvious to him. Like the assassin's note: in hindsight, I can see where I was led astray by the changing transpositions in the cipher, but Burrow figured it out almost immediately. Similarly, my frustration at puzzling out the motivations of our assailants merely bemused him.
Perhaps I've been too long in the Spire, and this is merely an overdue education in common sense. Or maybe it's something else entirely. Perhaps Borrow is a great and ancient sage in humble disguise. Regardless, I hope to learn from him.
It's strange how I keep going back to our conversations, our decisions, how we moved and acted as a team this night. Maybe the other events are just too big to process right now... so many dead, so much fear and chaos.
I think I killed a man tonight. It's hard to remember, everything happened to fast. I remember the darts of force tearing through his chest... and fire, a scorching ray of fire... no, that was the other time. It wasn't what I expected. Neither as exhilarating nor as horrifying as I'd heard. Just a job to do, to save our lives, to try to restore order and security. Assassins to thwart. Two fights... three... if I count running haplessly from the mysterious elf who came out of nowhere and knocked out Ili and Malakar as if they were little children, saying "Spread the word, there shall be no peace." I was unprepared for invisible assassins, and only figured out how to locate them after their plan was nearly complete. And why did the temple explode? That part makes the least sense of all.
At least Sir Eric Kaisen lives, and Son of Clouds will revive too (or so they tell me). There may be a way to piece together something in the morning; almost anything would be preferable to the default denouement: mutual destruction of humans and elves in bitter and irrevocable war. I don't know what's going to happen, but I'm going to try to help as best I can.
Perhaps we should share the note with the Elves in the grove, to share the truth and encourage their restraint and return to the process. I'll run that idea by Burrow and the others; I'm sure there's something obvious I've missed (sigh).
And what am I going to tell Gaston Bonhomme? To keep the barrier up, and prepare for war? That my mission was a joke? To send someone better equipped? That I'm planning to defer to a short stranger with a funny name because his judgement has proved superior to mine?
There are questions enough, mysteries enough, for a year of study. And no such time. No time at all.
Now, fool or not, I must sleep.
[ Edited to fix names -- sorry! ]
It's been less than half a day since I got here, and both my mission and this peace process are in tattered shreds. Will there still be hope for peace in the morning? Will the keep still stand in the morning? Will I wake up in the morning? I can't answer these questions, but I must sleep soon regardless if I'm to be of any use.
I came here with too many expectations, too much rigidity, too sure of myself and the parameters of the situation. I thought I was flexible enough, thought I'd look around, adapt to the circumstances, respond to my Master's wishes, and generally not get too involved. I had no idea that I'd get entangled like this, and was totally unprepared for this experience of dread, destruction, and futility.
When the alarms sounded, somehow I must have thought I could handle it myself. That's the only explanation for failing to wake my companions, my fellow wizards. Where are they, anyway? Did they block themselves inside, block out the screams? Did they try to help the Llyrians? As I still I don't understand my own actions, I don't trust that I can predict theirs.
Somehow the nature of my mission (it seems ridiculous to call an observer's discretion "secrecy" now, with terrible evil plots afoot) led me to unwise arrogance; I thought I should handle it alone, to see what I could see, to observe and correlate and decide and report. But apparently that's not how it works here, when worlds collide and there's no time to think. In hindsight, investigating the clamor alone was an incredibly foolish move. Fortunately, chance led me to collide (almost literally) with three other investigators. And what interesting individuals they are!
Malakar, at least, makes sense to me. He seems a straightforward and ordered man, pragmatic and focused. His facility with divine magic and his massive greatsword were both key to our survival this night. Although I don't share his dedication to Albrecht, I trusted him almost immediately as a champion of humanity and order. I was grateful for the presence of at least one person without secrets, one strong presence devoid of mystery.
I'm not nearly so sure about Ili. There's something a little scary about her zeal; or is it her appearance I'm responding to? Her force of will, the way she pummelled the armed and armored assassins with her bare hands, the flashes of anger in her eyes that spoke of righteous destruction -- they all make me want to back away a bit. Most of all, the sense that if one associated with her long enough, the sheer force of her love for Albrecht might override one's logical dispassion. On the other hand, she seemed a capable leader when everything went crazy... as long as she's occupied with a shared enemy, it's good to be with her. I just wouldn't want to be around her when she's bored and looking for somebody to convert.
At least you know where these religious types stand. When it comes to the short guy -- Borrow -- I know hardly anything at all.
I don't know where he's from, what he's doing here, how he came by his incredible abilities to move and hide. I've never seen anybody move like that, and I've never failed to see anybody move in the same way that I somehow (more than once) couldn't pin down his exact position or path. I'm embarrassed to admit my distress at the foolishness I felt every time I talked to him. It's been years since anybody at the spire made me feel like such a dullard! Yet I don't think his intent was prideful; it's as if he's from another world, and things which are subtle or tricky for me to grasp are obvious to him. Like the assassin's note: in hindsight, I can see where I was led astray by the changing transpositions in the cipher, but Burrow figured it out almost immediately. Similarly, my frustration at puzzling out the motivations of our assailants merely bemused him.
Perhaps I've been too long in the Spire, and this is merely an overdue education in common sense. Or maybe it's something else entirely. Perhaps Borrow is a great and ancient sage in humble disguise. Regardless, I hope to learn from him.
It's strange how I keep going back to our conversations, our decisions, how we moved and acted as a team this night. Maybe the other events are just too big to process right now... so many dead, so much fear and chaos.
I think I killed a man tonight. It's hard to remember, everything happened to fast. I remember the darts of force tearing through his chest... and fire, a scorching ray of fire... no, that was the other time. It wasn't what I expected. Neither as exhilarating nor as horrifying as I'd heard. Just a job to do, to save our lives, to try to restore order and security. Assassins to thwart. Two fights... three... if I count running haplessly from the mysterious elf who came out of nowhere and knocked out Ili and Malakar as if they were little children, saying "Spread the word, there shall be no peace." I was unprepared for invisible assassins, and only figured out how to locate them after their plan was nearly complete. And why did the temple explode? That part makes the least sense of all.
At least Sir Eric Kaisen lives, and Son of Clouds will revive too (or so they tell me). There may be a way to piece together something in the morning; almost anything would be preferable to the default denouement: mutual destruction of humans and elves in bitter and irrevocable war. I don't know what's going to happen, but I'm going to try to help as best I can.
Perhaps we should share the note with the Elves in the grove, to share the truth and encourage their restraint and return to the process. I'll run that idea by Burrow and the others; I'm sure there's something obvious I've missed (sigh).
And what am I going to tell Gaston Bonhomme? To keep the barrier up, and prepare for war? That my mission was a joke? To send someone better equipped? That I'm planning to defer to a short stranger with a funny name because his judgement has proved superior to mine?
There are questions enough, mysteries enough, for a year of study. And no such time. No time at all.
Now, fool or not, I must sleep.
[ Edited to fix names -- sorry! ]
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Is it rude to laugh?
I’m surprised by how much help these upworlders need.
After I travelled with Son of Clouds and the rest of the Llyrians to Ghostwood it was like a circus. The tower where we were staying were full of groups that seemed to all have their own purposes.
At one stage someone called Malakar came over and started asking me questions. That always makes me nervous. He seems to be a cleric of Albrecht, the human god of Justice. Like that makes me feel better!
When he went back to his companions I went too. I listened in and they weren’t saying anything I needed to be too concerned about so I returned to Son of Clouds and then we all turned in to bed.
I don’t think we’d been asleep that long when a commotion erupted and I soon gathered that the negotiating parties had been slain. Rather than looking at the group of elves heading for the grove, or the squad of soldiers heading for the inner keep I looked for someone heading the other way, but I couldn’t see anyone so I headed for the inner keep instead.
I saw Malakar and one of the other Albrecht worshippers talking with the guards at the keep who then gave them entrance. I slipped in behind them—they seemed to know what they were doing.
What a mess. Apparently the human and elf negotiators had all been slain, and while Malakar spoke with the keep commander to understand what had happened a group of assassins attacked.
The assassins hadn’t seen me hiding in the corner so I was able to attack one of them from concealment. We had also been joined by a wizard from someplace called the Spire that “everyone” has heard of.
It was a nasty battle, though I came through untouched. In searching the assassins we came across a note and our high and mighty wizard pondered over it for a while before declaring it indecipherable. I pointed out that it was a cipher of some sort and we’d need something else before we could read it. I tried not to laugh as he sputtered that he had thought as much, blah, blah, blah.
The rest of the night wasn’t much better. The temple of Albrecht was destroyed, and apparently this was the night when they were inducting their new paladins. Oops.
Most of the envoys of the Free Kingdoms were killed, though we were able to save Son of Clouds from dying.
At one stage we were attacked by another assassin, this one an elf, who knocked the crap out of Malakar and his buddy, who was called Ili and seemed to be either a paladin or a monk. For some reason he didn’t seem interested in killing them, just knocking them out. He seemed more interested in telling us that the peace talks would never succeed. I ran for help since this guy was seriously out of my league but by the time I got back he was gone.
The wizard guy, Obegard, managed to get Malakar back on his feet, and he got Ili back on hers. We then tried to zero in on these weird weapons the assassins were carrying—they were double-ended curved blades like I’d never seen before.
We gathered up all the ones we knew about and I stowed them in my bag of holding so Obegard could cast a spell to search for more. he sensed one heading towards the stables and we followed it. He sensed it moving into the stables, and then it started moving off towards the outer wall.
We searched the stall where the path had changed direction and found a carefully hidden trap door. It didn’t seem wise to follow so instead we dragged some bags of feed over the hatch to seal it and called in some guards to watch it.
We went back to word up the keep commander, and then on our way out again we noticed the guards in front of the cells were down. Oh come on! We called in the commander and went to check on their one prisoner—some elf spy that had been brought in to use as a bargaining chip.
As we moved in Malakar warned us that the area was swarming with hidden assailants. We started to withdraw to a more defensible position but there were already assassins behind us and they sprang to attack. Again we managed to take them out, but not before they had someone escaped with the prisoner.
We managed to stabilise one of the assassins for later questioning, and when we searched them we found the key for the encrypted note. Once again Obegard failed to puzzle it out and I had to explain to him how to read it.
So where are we? A well-coordinated attack on the keep which seemed aimed at driving everyone away, and freeing the elven spy. I suspect our new captive will be a pawn with no useful information. The peace talks have been ruined, probably irreparably.
On the plus side, Son of Clouds will live. I like Son of Clouds. I managed to avoid getting hurt, which I also like. I probably like that more than I like Son of Clouds. Sorry Son of Clouds!
After I travelled with Son of Clouds and the rest of the Llyrians to Ghostwood it was like a circus. The tower where we were staying were full of groups that seemed to all have their own purposes.
At one stage someone called Malakar came over and started asking me questions. That always makes me nervous. He seems to be a cleric of Albrecht, the human god of Justice. Like that makes me feel better!
When he went back to his companions I went too. I listened in and they weren’t saying anything I needed to be too concerned about so I returned to Son of Clouds and then we all turned in to bed.
I don’t think we’d been asleep that long when a commotion erupted and I soon gathered that the negotiating parties had been slain. Rather than looking at the group of elves heading for the grove, or the squad of soldiers heading for the inner keep I looked for someone heading the other way, but I couldn’t see anyone so I headed for the inner keep instead.
I saw Malakar and one of the other Albrecht worshippers talking with the guards at the keep who then gave them entrance. I slipped in behind them—they seemed to know what they were doing.
What a mess. Apparently the human and elf negotiators had all been slain, and while Malakar spoke with the keep commander to understand what had happened a group of assassins attacked.
The assassins hadn’t seen me hiding in the corner so I was able to attack one of them from concealment. We had also been joined by a wizard from someplace called the Spire that “everyone” has heard of.
It was a nasty battle, though I came through untouched. In searching the assassins we came across a note and our high and mighty wizard pondered over it for a while before declaring it indecipherable. I pointed out that it was a cipher of some sort and we’d need something else before we could read it. I tried not to laugh as he sputtered that he had thought as much, blah, blah, blah.
The rest of the night wasn’t much better. The temple of Albrecht was destroyed, and apparently this was the night when they were inducting their new paladins. Oops.
Most of the envoys of the Free Kingdoms were killed, though we were able to save Son of Clouds from dying.
At one stage we were attacked by another assassin, this one an elf, who knocked the crap out of Malakar and his buddy, who was called Ili and seemed to be either a paladin or a monk. For some reason he didn’t seem interested in killing them, just knocking them out. He seemed more interested in telling us that the peace talks would never succeed. I ran for help since this guy was seriously out of my league but by the time I got back he was gone.
The wizard guy, Obegard, managed to get Malakar back on his feet, and he got Ili back on hers. We then tried to zero in on these weird weapons the assassins were carrying—they were double-ended curved blades like I’d never seen before.
We gathered up all the ones we knew about and I stowed them in my bag of holding so Obegard could cast a spell to search for more. he sensed one heading towards the stables and we followed it. He sensed it moving into the stables, and then it started moving off towards the outer wall.
We searched the stall where the path had changed direction and found a carefully hidden trap door. It didn’t seem wise to follow so instead we dragged some bags of feed over the hatch to seal it and called in some guards to watch it.
We went back to word up the keep commander, and then on our way out again we noticed the guards in front of the cells were down. Oh come on! We called in the commander and went to check on their one prisoner—some elf spy that had been brought in to use as a bargaining chip.
As we moved in Malakar warned us that the area was swarming with hidden assailants. We started to withdraw to a more defensible position but there were already assassins behind us and they sprang to attack. Again we managed to take them out, but not before they had someone escaped with the prisoner.
We managed to stabilise one of the assassins for later questioning, and when we searched them we found the key for the encrypted note. Once again Obegard failed to puzzle it out and I had to explain to him how to read it.
So where are we? A well-coordinated attack on the keep which seemed aimed at driving everyone away, and freeing the elven spy. I suspect our new captive will be a pawn with no useful information. The peace talks have been ruined, probably irreparably.
On the plus side, Son of Clouds will live. I like Son of Clouds. I managed to avoid getting hurt, which I also like. I probably like that more than I like Son of Clouds. Sorry Son of Clouds!
The encoded message
Let the other groups do the killing - the ambassadors, Kaisen, the Llyran, and anyone who interferes. You must focus on stealth. Make sure Cynarre is safely out of the keep. Keep any fight short. The information he has is too important to compromise. Once you have him, all teams proceed immediately to the assembly point. Ghostwood is finished, but the Great Task begins. If you succeed in all, we will reward you beyond your capacity to bear.
--C.
--C.
Ili's travels
Background: It was common for the villagers in my hometown in the freelands to die young. Whether it was from raids from orcs, disease, drought, or one of a million things. The priests of Albrecht had a large orphanage, for the children of these unfortunate families. Of course, many parents also left extra children on the doorstep, if their families were already large enough. It was a strict religious upbringing, but I found that I thrived and basked in the love of Albrecht. I became devoted to him, and with all of my religious ferver, I decided to dedicate my life to spreading his cause by bringing justice to our lands. I also decided that I did not need weapons to this, as Albrecht had blessed me with strength that could be delivered through my fists and feet. I am here to protect a group of priests (some may call them zealots) that are trying to bring the word of Albrecht to all of the heathens that have gathered here for this peace conference.
Physical Description.
I am a tall woman, who appears a bit intimidating, since my head is shaved and tattooed with Albrecht's holy symbol. I wear robes that are similar to priests vestments, embroidered with the holy symbol.
Mechanics:
Human woman, Lawful Good, Monk 1/Paladin 3
Physical Description.
I am a tall woman, who appears a bit intimidating, since my head is shaved and tattooed with Albrecht's holy symbol. I wear robes that are similar to priests vestments, embroidered with the holy symbol.
Mechanics:
Human woman, Lawful Good, Monk 1/Paladin 3
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Out of the shadows
Borrow wasn’t happy in the sunlight. It was like everything glowed—it hurt his eyes. In fact, it hurt so much that he’d tied some cloth around his head like a blindfold to keep most of the light out. It felt much better that way and he could still see everything going on around him. Even at night things were brighter than he had expected.
And the temperature changed. The caves where he’d lived his whole life were the same temperature no matter what time of day it was. Sure, some were hot. Some were cold, too. But the hot caves were always hot, and the cold caves were always cold. When they broke through the surface it had been beneath the radiant sun and it wasn’t long before his cloak had started to stifle him. When he tried to drop it by the roadside he’d been scolded by one of the elders for waste.
But they’d had to stop for water, and no one had seen him kick it under a bush. But then night had fallen and it had become bitterly cold and he missed his cloak.
As he huddled near a fire for warmth he wondered how he had wound up here. It was a bit too close to heroism, and his father had always cautioned him against that.
The dwarves had been at war with the Abyssals as long as he could recall. As his father and he moved around Goldenaxe they would sometimes pass the Hall of Heroes, where heroes of the dwarven nation were interred. Or at least they were if there were anything left; otherwise there was just a memorial plaque. His father would make a point of detouring into the Hall, no matter how much of a hurry they were in. His father preferred to call it the “Home of the Brave” and would give him a lecture on how you could make a significant contribution and live to a ripe old age by sticking to the shadows instead of leading a charge.
Not that it had mattered much. Borrow was old enough to get into trouble but not old enough to be dragged into the war. Some of his friends had already earned their names, but who knows how long they would live to enjoy the privilege?
The problem was that the Abyssals were so elusive—so many of them could blink from place to place. We&rsqou;d erected teleportation blocks to stop them jumping past our defences but they seemed to care little for their own existence and were many in number.
One day my father came home with a particularly sober expression. “Well boy, ” he said, “apparently sometimes ‘heroism’ can’t be avoided. Apparently the Church has divined a spell to destroy the portals that the Abyssals are coming through. Unfortunately they have to get close to the portal and we can’t possibly fight our way there through the main passages—they’ve ‘asked’ me to escort one of their vicars through the Hidden Ways to a point near where we think they have a portal, and then bring him back safely. It’s definitely a ‘hero’s’ mission and I doubt we’ll make it back.” He spat on the ground to punctuate this last point. “Remember what I’ve taught you—keep your head down and you’ll live a long life.”
I was shaken. My father clearly expected this to be his end. But I was strangely curious as well—my father had occasionally mentioned the Hidden Ways. Heck, everyone had heard stories of them. But he had never once intimated that he actually knew them.
And so it was that the next morning when he set out I too left our house. I didn’t follow him directly from our house—I went to a vantage point near the Church of Kor since I figured he’d have to show up to meet the Vicar.
It was a good spot. That part of the city is reasonably open and you can see a lot from there, and surprisingly easy to get to. I didn’t see my father arrive, but when he left with the Vicar and two of the Hammers of Kor it was harder to remain unseen. I saw them pass down the Way of Devotion and turn into the Street of Gold. Then they took the twisting little Path of Fools that leads through to the Plaza of Gems. Only they didn’t come out in the Plaza, and there are no other exits from the Path of Fools.
I took careful note of where I lost sight of them, and where I should have been able to see them again, and then climbed down and ran to the Path of Fools. There were no marks of passage through here—even though people don’t often come this way (if they’re smart) it’s still well paved. Even though I couldn’t see anyone about better to not take risks--there’s a reason why it’s called the Path of Fools.
I slowly made my way onto the roof—my father always said I should learn to climb better. I crept along slowly, trying to stay hidden as much as I was trying to see whether there was anything interesting down below.
It was not long before there was a strange twist in the Path, and I noticed that there was a patch about 5’ wide where the roof didn’t seem to belong to any of the houses. I swung down and searched the wall carefully but could find nothing. In fact it was kind of suspicious because the wall seemed much better made than I might have expected.
I backed up as far as I could to try and take in the whole scene to see if something was out of place but still nothing stood out. I cast about on the ground and finally I found it’a thin gap between some of the paving stones just big enough to insert a small thin blade into. So I did. And I heard something faintly click, and then the wall swung silently open in front of me.
I stepped through and the switch was much easier to find on this side. Not right out in the open, no, but somewhere that someone who knows their trade could find it. And where someone that already knows where it is could hit it on the run.
In here it wasn’t hard to follow the trail because the clanking of the armour of the Hammers was easily discernible. I made good time as I closed the gap, not wanting to be too far behind in case there were some deceptive echoes around cross passages.
I marvelled at the effort that had been invested in creating these unknown passages. They were finished in the highest dwarven quality and ran for miles. That so much work had been done and yet these passages still remained nothing more than a legend was close to miraculous.
We went for several hours, occasionally passing small chambers clearly designed for camping out. There were also some traps. Well, perhaps not traps. They were so unsubtle that only the most careless intruder could set them off. They appeared to be deadfalls, but occasionally I saw wires leading off into the walls and I wondered whether there was more to it.
I almost ran into them. They’d stopped in a passage and I guessed they were close to the exit they wanted. As I listened I heard their plan, that my father would make sure the way was clear, and then withdraw into the passage to watch while the Vicar read the scroll and the Hammers made sure he got to complete it. While the number one priority was to complete the spell from the scroll, the second priority was to return to the Church and let them know what whether the spell had worked.
My father crept out of the Ways and was gone for a few minutes. When he came back he said it looked like they should be good for several minutes, but of course standing at a portal he couldn’t provide any guarantee.
The Hammers moved out to take up defensive positions and then the Vicar moved out and I heard him chanting. Then there were sounds of fighting. I heard the chanting continue through the fighting, but then the battle grew more intense and I could hear the chanting no more. Because he was closer I could hear my father curse and then I guess he had reopened the concealed door because the sounds of battle became clearer.
I moved up to the door and sure enough he was gone. I checked the back of the door and found a peephole. I could see that the Vicar and one of the Hammers were down, and my father was scrambling to get the scroll while the remaining Hammer fought back some nasty looking Abyssals.
Then one of the Abyssals snuck under the guard of the Hammer and leapt on my father’s back. It ripped into his flesh as he tried to crush it against the wall. Without thinking I ran through and cut the Abyssal from his back, but the damage was done. My father spat curses at me and told me to get back to the city and pretend I’d never been there, but I couldn’t leave it that way.
I picked up the scroll and blindly read the words written upon it. The Abyssals must have suspected what we were doing because they began howling in fury and throwing themselves against the Hammer that had them bottled up in the passage. As I continued to read the portal began to shimmer and distort. I have no idea how long I read that scroll but it seemed like so long, so long. As I neared the end claws started to reach through from the other side but it was as if I was bricking closed a doorway and there wasn’t enough room for them to get through to me. I finished the scroll and the portal winked out, leaving a clawed arm twitching on the floor.
I called for the Hammer to follow me and he just laughed, saying that none of us would make it if he moved from where he was. I grabbed my father and began to drag him into the passage, closing the door behind me. I continued to drag and we moved so slowly. He was no longer conscious and I wasn’t sure if he was alive, but I dragged nonetheless.
After a short while I heard thumping from the area of the portal. I would never make it back to the city with my father, and if the Abyssals got this far they would eventually find a way straight into the middle of the city.
So I left him lying there, and retreated back to the deadfall trigger. And I set it off. At first nothing happened, and then I heard a dull rumbling. A thick section of the roof immediately in front of me slid down like a door and behind it I heard the sound of falling stone—a lot of falling stone. My guess is that it might have gone all the way back to the exit.
I made my way back to the Path of Fools, and from there to the Church of Kor. I told them I was looking for my father, because I wasn’t sure who knew what was really going on. For several hours I sat there, occasionally speaking to another official who assured me my father wasn’t there, and yet none of them actually told me to leave.
Eventually one of them showed me into a small room and after another few minutes I was joined by the High Vicar himself. He apologised for the long wait, and said that my father had been sent on a mission of great importance. They had hoped he would be back by now, but as he wasn’t they could only assume the mission had failed.
He told me what a great loss it was for our people, and how my father would have a plaque in the Hall of Heroes—what irony. He talked for several minutes and I let him talk, still numb with my loss. Eventually he mentioned the cost to our people of the failed mission and I remembered my real purpose in coming here.
I told him that I had followed the expedition, and seen them die, but not before the scroll had been read and the portal closed. The High Vicar heard me story with some surprise, and obvious relief. I think he suspected something when I sidestepped mentioned who had read the scroll, but I think he decided I had been through enough.
“You have done a great thing today, and your people are grateful. I am leading a great expedition to the surface to gather aid against the Abyssals. Apart from anything else, there are several rare components needed for the spell that was on the scroll and we don’t have them. I would like you to join us and help me to track them down. Not many people know about this spell, so I can’t ask too many people to look without explaining why. If we can’t find the components, there’s no point raising hopes.”
Oh crap.
And so we set off some days later, but on the way to the surface there was a cave-in and a small group of us was cut off from the rest of the expedition. We made our way to the surface after several months and now we’re heading to Ghostwood where the expedition was headed. With Kor’s blessing the rest of the expedition will make it also.
And the temperature changed. The caves where he’d lived his whole life were the same temperature no matter what time of day it was. Sure, some were hot. Some were cold, too. But the hot caves were always hot, and the cold caves were always cold. When they broke through the surface it had been beneath the radiant sun and it wasn’t long before his cloak had started to stifle him. When he tried to drop it by the roadside he’d been scolded by one of the elders for waste.
But they’d had to stop for water, and no one had seen him kick it under a bush. But then night had fallen and it had become bitterly cold and he missed his cloak.
As he huddled near a fire for warmth he wondered how he had wound up here. It was a bit too close to heroism, and his father had always cautioned him against that.
The dwarves had been at war with the Abyssals as long as he could recall. As his father and he moved around Goldenaxe they would sometimes pass the Hall of Heroes, where heroes of the dwarven nation were interred. Or at least they were if there were anything left; otherwise there was just a memorial plaque. His father would make a point of detouring into the Hall, no matter how much of a hurry they were in. His father preferred to call it the “Home of the Brave” and would give him a lecture on how you could make a significant contribution and live to a ripe old age by sticking to the shadows instead of leading a charge.
Not that it had mattered much. Borrow was old enough to get into trouble but not old enough to be dragged into the war. Some of his friends had already earned their names, but who knows how long they would live to enjoy the privilege?
The problem was that the Abyssals were so elusive—so many of them could blink from place to place. We&rsqou;d erected teleportation blocks to stop them jumping past our defences but they seemed to care little for their own existence and were many in number.
One day my father came home with a particularly sober expression. “Well boy, ” he said, “apparently sometimes ‘heroism’ can’t be avoided. Apparently the Church has divined a spell to destroy the portals that the Abyssals are coming through. Unfortunately they have to get close to the portal and we can’t possibly fight our way there through the main passages—they’ve ‘asked’ me to escort one of their vicars through the Hidden Ways to a point near where we think they have a portal, and then bring him back safely. It’s definitely a ‘hero’s’ mission and I doubt we’ll make it back.” He spat on the ground to punctuate this last point. “Remember what I’ve taught you—keep your head down and you’ll live a long life.”
I was shaken. My father clearly expected this to be his end. But I was strangely curious as well—my father had occasionally mentioned the Hidden Ways. Heck, everyone had heard stories of them. But he had never once intimated that he actually knew them.
And so it was that the next morning when he set out I too left our house. I didn’t follow him directly from our house—I went to a vantage point near the Church of Kor since I figured he’d have to show up to meet the Vicar.
It was a good spot. That part of the city is reasonably open and you can see a lot from there, and surprisingly easy to get to. I didn’t see my father arrive, but when he left with the Vicar and two of the Hammers of Kor it was harder to remain unseen. I saw them pass down the Way of Devotion and turn into the Street of Gold. Then they took the twisting little Path of Fools that leads through to the Plaza of Gems. Only they didn’t come out in the Plaza, and there are no other exits from the Path of Fools.
I took careful note of where I lost sight of them, and where I should have been able to see them again, and then climbed down and ran to the Path of Fools. There were no marks of passage through here—even though people don’t often come this way (if they’re smart) it’s still well paved. Even though I couldn’t see anyone about better to not take risks--there’s a reason why it’s called the Path of Fools.
I slowly made my way onto the roof—my father always said I should learn to climb better. I crept along slowly, trying to stay hidden as much as I was trying to see whether there was anything interesting down below.
It was not long before there was a strange twist in the Path, and I noticed that there was a patch about 5’ wide where the roof didn’t seem to belong to any of the houses. I swung down and searched the wall carefully but could find nothing. In fact it was kind of suspicious because the wall seemed much better made than I might have expected.
I backed up as far as I could to try and take in the whole scene to see if something was out of place but still nothing stood out. I cast about on the ground and finally I found it’a thin gap between some of the paving stones just big enough to insert a small thin blade into. So I did. And I heard something faintly click, and then the wall swung silently open in front of me.
I stepped through and the switch was much easier to find on this side. Not right out in the open, no, but somewhere that someone who knows their trade could find it. And where someone that already knows where it is could hit it on the run.
In here it wasn’t hard to follow the trail because the clanking of the armour of the Hammers was easily discernible. I made good time as I closed the gap, not wanting to be too far behind in case there were some deceptive echoes around cross passages.
I marvelled at the effort that had been invested in creating these unknown passages. They were finished in the highest dwarven quality and ran for miles. That so much work had been done and yet these passages still remained nothing more than a legend was close to miraculous.
We went for several hours, occasionally passing small chambers clearly designed for camping out. There were also some traps. Well, perhaps not traps. They were so unsubtle that only the most careless intruder could set them off. They appeared to be deadfalls, but occasionally I saw wires leading off into the walls and I wondered whether there was more to it.
I almost ran into them. They’d stopped in a passage and I guessed they were close to the exit they wanted. As I listened I heard their plan, that my father would make sure the way was clear, and then withdraw into the passage to watch while the Vicar read the scroll and the Hammers made sure he got to complete it. While the number one priority was to complete the spell from the scroll, the second priority was to return to the Church and let them know what whether the spell had worked.
My father crept out of the Ways and was gone for a few minutes. When he came back he said it looked like they should be good for several minutes, but of course standing at a portal he couldn’t provide any guarantee.
The Hammers moved out to take up defensive positions and then the Vicar moved out and I heard him chanting. Then there were sounds of fighting. I heard the chanting continue through the fighting, but then the battle grew more intense and I could hear the chanting no more. Because he was closer I could hear my father curse and then I guess he had reopened the concealed door because the sounds of battle became clearer.
I moved up to the door and sure enough he was gone. I checked the back of the door and found a peephole. I could see that the Vicar and one of the Hammers were down, and my father was scrambling to get the scroll while the remaining Hammer fought back some nasty looking Abyssals.
Then one of the Abyssals snuck under the guard of the Hammer and leapt on my father’s back. It ripped into his flesh as he tried to crush it against the wall. Without thinking I ran through and cut the Abyssal from his back, but the damage was done. My father spat curses at me and told me to get back to the city and pretend I’d never been there, but I couldn’t leave it that way.
I picked up the scroll and blindly read the words written upon it. The Abyssals must have suspected what we were doing because they began howling in fury and throwing themselves against the Hammer that had them bottled up in the passage. As I continued to read the portal began to shimmer and distort. I have no idea how long I read that scroll but it seemed like so long, so long. As I neared the end claws started to reach through from the other side but it was as if I was bricking closed a doorway and there wasn’t enough room for them to get through to me. I finished the scroll and the portal winked out, leaving a clawed arm twitching on the floor.
I called for the Hammer to follow me and he just laughed, saying that none of us would make it if he moved from where he was. I grabbed my father and began to drag him into the passage, closing the door behind me. I continued to drag and we moved so slowly. He was no longer conscious and I wasn’t sure if he was alive, but I dragged nonetheless.
After a short while I heard thumping from the area of the portal. I would never make it back to the city with my father, and if the Abyssals got this far they would eventually find a way straight into the middle of the city.
So I left him lying there, and retreated back to the deadfall trigger. And I set it off. At first nothing happened, and then I heard a dull rumbling. A thick section of the roof immediately in front of me slid down like a door and behind it I heard the sound of falling stone—a lot of falling stone. My guess is that it might have gone all the way back to the exit.
I made my way back to the Path of Fools, and from there to the Church of Kor. I told them I was looking for my father, because I wasn’t sure who knew what was really going on. For several hours I sat there, occasionally speaking to another official who assured me my father wasn’t there, and yet none of them actually told me to leave.
Eventually one of them showed me into a small room and after another few minutes I was joined by the High Vicar himself. He apologised for the long wait, and said that my father had been sent on a mission of great importance. They had hoped he would be back by now, but as he wasn’t they could only assume the mission had failed.
He told me what a great loss it was for our people, and how my father would have a plaque in the Hall of Heroes—what irony. He talked for several minutes and I let him talk, still numb with my loss. Eventually he mentioned the cost to our people of the failed mission and I remembered my real purpose in coming here.
I told him that I had followed the expedition, and seen them die, but not before the scroll had been read and the portal closed. The High Vicar heard me story with some surprise, and obvious relief. I think he suspected something when I sidestepped mentioned who had read the scroll, but I think he decided I had been through enough.
“You have done a great thing today, and your people are grateful. I am leading a great expedition to the surface to gather aid against the Abyssals. Apart from anything else, there are several rare components needed for the spell that was on the scroll and we don’t have them. I would like you to join us and help me to track them down. Not many people know about this spell, so I can’t ask too many people to look without explaining why. If we can’t find the components, there’s no point raising hopes.”
Oh crap.
And so we set off some days later, but on the way to the surface there was a cave-in and a small group of us was cut off from the rest of the expedition. We made our way to the surface after several months and now we’re heading to Ghostwood where the expedition was headed. With Kor’s blessing the rest of the expedition will make it also.
Malakar Korvinn
Background
An unassuming young man with a penetrating stare, Malakar has been serving as an Inquisitor in the church of Albrecht for some time. Generally calm and even-tempered, Malakar rarely if ever appears angry or unnerved. Suspicious by nature, only a few people have gained Malakar's confidence. To him, most humanoids are self-centered, close-minded individuals--too quick to judge and too quick to blame others for their own failings. Of course, few trust Malakar as well. Questioning one's own colleagues does not make one popular.
Having already uncovered a small conspiracy within the church itself, the leaders of the church knew that Malakar's talent for noticing the smallest details that were out of place would come in handy in the Ghostwood. Unsavory characters of all sort would no doubt be teeming in the Ghostwood, looking for opportunities ply their trade all whist hiding amongst the bustle. It wouldn't be too surprising either, if at least a few of the officials sent Malakar far away lest Malakar turn his scrutinizing glare toward them.
Malakar's task in the Ghostwood is simple: protect the diplomats from the Free Kingdoms while the talks with the Elves take place. Of course, it's never as simple as it sounds. The elves cannot be trusted, and certainly the Cult of Bascaron would try to disrupt the meeting, hoping to plunge the nations into bloody war. However, Malakar is optimistic about the mission. He is well trained in warfare, and combines swordplay, divine magic and a smattering of arcane magic into a devastating whole.
Secret Background
Only a few people know that Malakar is actually not a human at all. He is actually a Lycanthrope who has been living amongst humans all his life. At a young age, he witnessed the Cult of Bascaron attack his village, killing his entire family as far as he knew. He now spends his days rooting out the cult where ever they may be hidden, not resting until he destroys them all. The irony of hunting shapeshifters while being one himself is not lost upon Malakar, but he hopes that through his efforts, he can demonstrate to others that not all Lycanthropes are evil, and that the true threat to humans is the Cult of Bascaron.
Appearance
Malakar certainly wouldn't stand out in a crowd of people, and that's how he likes it. He appears to be about six feet tall with matted dark hair. He is currently wearing a beat-up suit of Splint Mail, hoping to look like the rest of mercenaries hired to guard the meeting. He is however, carrying a greatsword of exceptional quality, though most of the time it remains sheathed in a plain scabbard strapped to his back. A light mace dangles from his waist as a backup weapon, and he seems to be wearing a pair of fairly menacing spiked gauntlets. His holy symbol--that of a golden dragon usually remains hidden tucked behind his armor.
Mechanics
Race is Lycanthrope with Bear as the chosen animal
Alignment is Lawful Good
Cleric of Albrecht 3/Church Inquisitor 1
Domains are War, Inquisition and Divine Magician (from CM)
Using the alternate class feature in UA to get Smite Evil/Aura of Courage instead of turning
An unassuming young man with a penetrating stare, Malakar has been serving as an Inquisitor in the church of Albrecht for some time. Generally calm and even-tempered, Malakar rarely if ever appears angry or unnerved. Suspicious by nature, only a few people have gained Malakar's confidence. To him, most humanoids are self-centered, close-minded individuals--too quick to judge and too quick to blame others for their own failings. Of course, few trust Malakar as well. Questioning one's own colleagues does not make one popular.
Having already uncovered a small conspiracy within the church itself, the leaders of the church knew that Malakar's talent for noticing the smallest details that were out of place would come in handy in the Ghostwood. Unsavory characters of all sort would no doubt be teeming in the Ghostwood, looking for opportunities ply their trade all whist hiding amongst the bustle. It wouldn't be too surprising either, if at least a few of the officials sent Malakar far away lest Malakar turn his scrutinizing glare toward them.
Malakar's task in the Ghostwood is simple: protect the diplomats from the Free Kingdoms while the talks with the Elves take place. Of course, it's never as simple as it sounds. The elves cannot be trusted, and certainly the Cult of Bascaron would try to disrupt the meeting, hoping to plunge the nations into bloody war. However, Malakar is optimistic about the mission. He is well trained in warfare, and combines swordplay, divine magic and a smattering of arcane magic into a devastating whole.
Secret Background
Only a few people know that Malakar is actually not a human at all. He is actually a Lycanthrope who has been living amongst humans all his life. At a young age, he witnessed the Cult of Bascaron attack his village, killing his entire family as far as he knew. He now spends his days rooting out the cult where ever they may be hidden, not resting until he destroys them all. The irony of hunting shapeshifters while being one himself is not lost upon Malakar, but he hopes that through his efforts, he can demonstrate to others that not all Lycanthropes are evil, and that the true threat to humans is the Cult of Bascaron.
Appearance
Malakar certainly wouldn't stand out in a crowd of people, and that's how he likes it. He appears to be about six feet tall with matted dark hair. He is currently wearing a beat-up suit of Splint Mail, hoping to look like the rest of mercenaries hired to guard the meeting. He is however, carrying a greatsword of exceptional quality, though most of the time it remains sheathed in a plain scabbard strapped to his back. A light mace dangles from his waist as a backup weapon, and he seems to be wearing a pair of fairly menacing spiked gauntlets. His holy symbol--that of a golden dragon usually remains hidden tucked behind his armor.
Mechanics
Race is Lycanthrope with Bear as the chosen animal
Alignment is Lawful Good
Cleric of Albrecht 3/Church Inquisitor 1
Domains are War, Inquisition and Divine Magician (from CM)
Using the alternate class feature in UA to get Smite Evil/Aura of Courage instead of turning
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Obegard's Mission
Somewhere between the too-fresh ghosts of Corinth and the ancient ghosts of the Ghostwood, Obegard rides quietly, following the rest of the delegation from the Arak Spire. Despite the unseasonably gentle weather, it's a somber procession. Even the most phlegmatic of his fellow wizards were shaken by the sight of the ruined city beyond the barrier. Sometimes a wizard understands too much too easily: counting the heaped bodies without conscious effort, tallying the signs of unnatural death, and worst of all knowing how far that total falls short. Those who died in Corinth, and stayed dead in Corinth, were the lucky ones.
Obeg's practiced calm (his classmates style him "the Mild", respectfully for the most part) serves him well now. It doesn't hurt that none of his family were in Corinth, at least as far as he knows. His older sister Galea, trained as a healer, has been travelling with a group of clerics of Neus. Obeg hadn't heard from her since the last time she was in Corinth, about six months ago. His mother Tollys is back in Estrough-by-the-river, book-keeping and scribing for the great trading houses. He lost friends in Corinth, but the Arak Spire -- his home, his affiliation -- yet stands, with most of his graduating cohort riding ahead of him in the delegation. Beyond the Spire, the Free Kingdoms have somehow found a reprieve, a chance for peace. With doom apparently averted, the return to the familiar politics of uncertainty and threat seems almost hopeful.
Ostensibly a junior member of the delegation, without responsibility or power to treat at the coming Agreement, Obeg conceals a separate and potentially more important mission. Tucked away in an inner pocket, he bears a list from his Masters: names and watchwords, people and places to observe and record and report back. A minor agent of the Spire, little enough glory in it, but a welcomed opportunity to serve. The respect and trust of his Masters of the Spire might just accelerate his own deeply-desired acclamation to Mastery.
Beneath these surface thoughts and recollections, Obeg's subconscious seeks ever to find the pattern, to make connections, to assemble fragments of time and place into law and understanding. Trained in Divination and the other highest Arts for the majority of his conscious life, his attention on the here and now is colored by a constant awareness of the elsewhere and elsewhen. This is his center: the sure knowledge that order and truth are never irrevocably lost. Chaos and destruction tear the world apart, but the whole can be recovered and known, at least to the enlightened mind. The peace of other times and other places exists even on the battlefield; the company of friends and family exist even when alone. Like old Furst used to say, "Diviners seek the Whole."*
As the horses plod onward, Obeg meditates to gather his calm and his will, reluctantly suspecting that the Ghostwood gathering may rather test his discretion... and his luck.
Description: Obegard's appearance is unremarkable; he wouldn't stand out much in a crowd of city-dwellers. His hair is light brown and swept back, neatly trimmed just short of his shoulders. Obeg's skin is lightly tanned but only faintly weather-worn. At 5'7" and 150 lbs., a light horse carries him and his modest belongings comfortably. Eschewing robes, staff, or familiar, on this trip he looks like any other traveler of average means. A small crossbow hangs from his saddle, and a utilitarian dagger from his belt. Like his colleagues of the delegation, he wears a pendant identifying him as a representative of the Spire (the Master of Glyphs and Symbols spent a hurried night crafting variants of the usual tokens to give the delegation appropriate status, exceeding lowly Studenthood but without the impious implication of Mastery).
Game Information: Obeg is a male human Wizard (Diviner) 4. His banned school is Necromancy. Alignment: Lawful Neutral. Feats: Scribe Scroll, Able Learner (RD 150), Inspired Divination (CM 44), Extend Spell. Alternative Class Feature: Glimpse Peril (PHBII p70), in exchange for losing Summon Familiar.
Footnote: *Obeg remembers, too, the muffled snickers at Furst's edict -- Mage humor spans the gamut from the most arcane polyglot poems, with readings in Common and Abyssal and Celestial, down to the sophomoric "Detect Naughty Bits".
Obeg's practiced calm (his classmates style him "the Mild", respectfully for the most part) serves him well now. It doesn't hurt that none of his family were in Corinth, at least as far as he knows. His older sister Galea, trained as a healer, has been travelling with a group of clerics of Neus. Obeg hadn't heard from her since the last time she was in Corinth, about six months ago. His mother Tollys is back in Estrough-by-the-river, book-keeping and scribing for the great trading houses. He lost friends in Corinth, but the Arak Spire -- his home, his affiliation -- yet stands, with most of his graduating cohort riding ahead of him in the delegation. Beyond the Spire, the Free Kingdoms have somehow found a reprieve, a chance for peace. With doom apparently averted, the return to the familiar politics of uncertainty and threat seems almost hopeful.
Ostensibly a junior member of the delegation, without responsibility or power to treat at the coming Agreement, Obeg conceals a separate and potentially more important mission. Tucked away in an inner pocket, he bears a list from his Masters: names and watchwords, people and places to observe and record and report back. A minor agent of the Spire, little enough glory in it, but a welcomed opportunity to serve. The respect and trust of his Masters of the Spire might just accelerate his own deeply-desired acclamation to Mastery.
Beneath these surface thoughts and recollections, Obeg's subconscious seeks ever to find the pattern, to make connections, to assemble fragments of time and place into law and understanding. Trained in Divination and the other highest Arts for the majority of his conscious life, his attention on the here and now is colored by a constant awareness of the elsewhere and elsewhen. This is his center: the sure knowledge that order and truth are never irrevocably lost. Chaos and destruction tear the world apart, but the whole can be recovered and known, at least to the enlightened mind. The peace of other times and other places exists even on the battlefield; the company of friends and family exist even when alone. Like old Furst used to say, "Diviners seek the Whole."*
As the horses plod onward, Obeg meditates to gather his calm and his will, reluctantly suspecting that the Ghostwood gathering may rather test his discretion... and his luck.
Description: Obegard's appearance is unremarkable; he wouldn't stand out much in a crowd of city-dwellers. His hair is light brown and swept back, neatly trimmed just short of his shoulders. Obeg's skin is lightly tanned but only faintly weather-worn. At 5'7" and 150 lbs., a light horse carries him and his modest belongings comfortably. Eschewing robes, staff, or familiar, on this trip he looks like any other traveler of average means. A small crossbow hangs from his saddle, and a utilitarian dagger from his belt. Like his colleagues of the delegation, he wears a pendant identifying him as a representative of the Spire (the Master of Glyphs and Symbols spent a hurried night crafting variants of the usual tokens to give the delegation appropriate status, exceeding lowly Studenthood but without the impious implication of Mastery).
Game Information: Obeg is a male human Wizard (Diviner) 4. His banned school is Necromancy. Alignment: Lawful Neutral. Feats: Scribe Scroll, Able Learner (RD 150), Inspired Divination (CM 44), Extend Spell. Alternative Class Feature: Glimpse Peril (PHBII p70), in exchange for losing Summon Familiar.
Footnote: *Obeg remembers, too, the muffled snickers at Furst's edict -- Mage humor spans the gamut from the most arcane polyglot poems, with readings in Common and Abyssal and Celestial, down to the sophomoric "Detect Naughty Bits".
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Welcome to the Accordlands
Larisnar is a world sorely in the need of heroes. Century after century has seen good men's dreams fade while evil strengthen their rule. While heroes enjoy occasional victory, the cost is always too high or its stay too brief. Three evil nations dominate a land name for an Accord now long forgotten, and the two nations of heroes may yet succumb to traitors from within.
The three evil nations are the Deverenians, the Elves, and the Nothrog. The two good nations are the Free Kingdoms and the Dwarves.
The Empire of Deverenia presents the culture who once dominated the land, and intends to do so again. The great Empire of Deverenia is the home to dark nobility, mighty knights, and powerful wizards. In Deverenia, power is not everything, it is the only thing.
The Dwarves are one of the few noble races in the Accordlands. The Dwarves, long removed from the Accordlands, have emerged from the World Below in need of aid to fight the demonic Abyssals, but find only resistance and new enemies in the World Above.
The Elves are the Accordlands most evil race. The tragic Elves, doomed to live only a few short decades, have turned to the dark art of necromancy in an attempt to extend their lives. And death to any who would stand against their arts.
The Free Kingdoms are ragtag humans who are battered on all sides by the other races of the Accord. Content to live their lives in peace, the humans find themselves trapped between the ambitions of the Elves, Deverenians, and Nothrog. Should the Free Kingdoms fail to unite, one of the last rays of light in Larisnar will be lost forever.
The Nothrog are the results of centuries of selective breeding among the orcs, ogres, trolls, and goblins. Their bloodlust and savagery is matched only by their keen intellect and tactical superiority. While they may seem barbaric, their main goal is to impose order on the Accordlands. An order where all answer to the Nothrog.
Ghostwood overflows with diplomats, soldiers, servants, and hangers-on, as well as uninvited guests. Some tag along to see what all the fuss is about. While some want to mingle with the rich and powerful. Some know that this historic gathering provides an unequaled opportunity for sowing chaos.
Wizards Guild
Requirements: At least one level in any of the following classes: Artificer, Bard, Dragonfire Adept, Duskblade, Sorcerer, Warmage, Wizard.
Background: You are students of the oldest wizard school in the Accordlands, Arak Spire. This was to be your final year of study at the Spire. This all changed when the Elves came. When the Elves laid siege to Corinth the acting Chatelain of the Spire, Gaston Bonhomme, led a group a fellow wizards in erecting a magical barrier to protect the Spire. While the barrier remains in place the Spire is invulnerable to all magical attacks, and allows no one to enter or exit its boundaries by any means, magical or non magical, unless the Chatelain wills their entry. The barrier requires constant maintaining from all the Wizards of the Spire and they can do little else to help with the War. The Wizards of the Spire were relieved when news of the peace agreement reached the Spire. It was decided that it would be to risky to send any of the Wizards that are responsible in maintaining the barrier to Ghostwood. Wanting to be represented at the peace talks the Chatelain has asked the graduating students to attend the peace talks as representatives of Cornith and the Wizard Guild.
Benefits: A wand with a market price(spell level * caster level * 750 gp) of 4500gp or less and membership into the Wizards' Guild.
Dwarven Expedition
Requirements: Dwarf
Background: The War with the Abyssals goes badly. The High Vicar, Gnorrow Yaw, requested that he lead an expedition to the surface to seek help from the other races of the Accord. With the recent deaths of his family and seeing that his people will need help with the war king Xod agreed. A great host of 7,000 dwarves assembled north of Goldenaxe. In addition to Gnorrow Yaw they were led by the famed general Zeal, known for his unwavering hatred for the Abyssals, and the former City Lord of Steelguard, Doricen. On the way to the surface a massive cave-in split the expedition. You are in a small group of thirty dwarves split off from the main group. With no apparent way to regroup with the main expedition your group pushed on to the surface. After many months you reached the surface.
Benefits: +3000gp starting gold and a +1 dwarven weapon.
Classes, feats, prestige classes, and spells outside of the PHB and DMG are allowed. Anything from the newer books (Tome of Battle, Complete Mage, Complete Scoundral, etc...) needs my approval first.
Characters may use any of the following rule variants:
The three evil nations are the Deverenians, the Elves, and the Nothrog. The two good nations are the Free Kingdoms and the Dwarves.
The Empire of Deverenia presents the culture who once dominated the land, and intends to do so again. The great Empire of Deverenia is the home to dark nobility, mighty knights, and powerful wizards. In Deverenia, power is not everything, it is the only thing.
The Dwarves are one of the few noble races in the Accordlands. The Dwarves, long removed from the Accordlands, have emerged from the World Below in need of aid to fight the demonic Abyssals, but find only resistance and new enemies in the World Above.
The Elves are the Accordlands most evil race. The tragic Elves, doomed to live only a few short decades, have turned to the dark art of necromancy in an attempt to extend their lives. And death to any who would stand against their arts.
The Free Kingdoms are ragtag humans who are battered on all sides by the other races of the Accord. Content to live their lives in peace, the humans find themselves trapped between the ambitions of the Elves, Deverenians, and Nothrog. Should the Free Kingdoms fail to unite, one of the last rays of light in Larisnar will be lost forever.
The Nothrog are the results of centuries of selective breeding among the orcs, ogres, trolls, and goblins. Their bloodlust and savagery is matched only by their keen intellect and tactical superiority. While they may seem barbaric, their main goal is to impose order on the Accordlands. An order where all answer to the Nothrog.
Campaign Background
Immediately after the 100-year geas on the elves ended, elven armies marched from the forests of Myreth destroying the city of Cornith in a single day. This brought the Free Kingdoms and the Elves to the brink of war. Somehow these age-old enemies have negotiated a peace agreement, and representatives of the major nations of the Accordlands have gathered in Ghostwood, a holdover from the earliest days of war between the Elves and Andover, to witness the historic event.Ghostwood overflows with diplomats, soldiers, servants, and hangers-on, as well as uninvited guests. Some tag along to see what all the fuss is about. While some want to mingle with the rich and powerful. Some know that this historic gathering provides an unequaled opportunity for sowing chaos.
Character Development
Here are a list of reason your non-dwarf characters would be in Ghostwood:- Assigned to guard an attending dignitary.
- Hired to guard the keep during the special event.
- Asked to spy on other factions.
- A rogue attracted to a gathering of wealthy individuals.
- Working on a business opportunity, hoping to steal some material to those attending the signing.
Party Backgrounds
Here are a list of possible backgrounds for the party. Every party member must meet the requirements.Wizards Guild
Requirements: At least one level in any of the following classes: Artificer, Bard, Dragonfire Adept, Duskblade, Sorcerer, Warmage, Wizard.
Background: You are students of the oldest wizard school in the Accordlands, Arak Spire. This was to be your final year of study at the Spire. This all changed when the Elves came. When the Elves laid siege to Corinth the acting Chatelain of the Spire, Gaston Bonhomme, led a group a fellow wizards in erecting a magical barrier to protect the Spire. While the barrier remains in place the Spire is invulnerable to all magical attacks, and allows no one to enter or exit its boundaries by any means, magical or non magical, unless the Chatelain wills their entry. The barrier requires constant maintaining from all the Wizards of the Spire and they can do little else to help with the War. The Wizards of the Spire were relieved when news of the peace agreement reached the Spire. It was decided that it would be to risky to send any of the Wizards that are responsible in maintaining the barrier to Ghostwood. Wanting to be represented at the peace talks the Chatelain has asked the graduating students to attend the peace talks as representatives of Cornith and the Wizard Guild.
Benefits: A wand with a market price(spell level * caster level * 750 gp) of 4500gp or less and membership into the Wizards' Guild.
Dwarven Expedition
Requirements: Dwarf
Background: The War with the Abyssals goes badly. The High Vicar, Gnorrow Yaw, requested that he lead an expedition to the surface to seek help from the other races of the Accord. With the recent deaths of his family and seeing that his people will need help with the war king Xod agreed. A great host of 7,000 dwarves assembled north of Goldenaxe. In addition to Gnorrow Yaw they were led by the famed general Zeal, known for his unwavering hatred for the Abyssals, and the former City Lord of Steelguard, Doricen. On the way to the surface a massive cave-in split the expedition. You are in a small group of thirty dwarves split off from the main group. With no apparent way to regroup with the main expedition your group pushed on to the surface. After many months you reached the surface.
Benefits: +3000gp starting gold and a +1 dwarven weapon.
Game Mechanics
Characters start out at level 4 with 2000gp. For stats, use a 32 point buy system as per the DMG. For hit points, take the maximum at first level and the average(see MM page 297) for every level above first.Classes, feats, prestige classes, and spells outside of the PHB and DMG are allowed. Anything from the newer books (Tome of Battle, Complete Mage, Complete Scoundral, etc...) needs my approval first.
Characters may use any of the following rule variants:
- Actions Points
- Craft Points
- Alternative class features
- Racial substitution levels
Races
Since this campaign focuses on the two good factions the races to choose from are limited to the following:- Centaur (use the monster class in Races of the Wild)
- Dwarf
- Human
- Lycanthrope
Story
I will be posting additional story background and game mechanics on this blog. I encourage back story and sessions write-ups. I will be awarding 100 * character level in XP for each write-up.Cavebear Master
Cavebears are one of the few dwarven pets. These large cave-dwellers are ferocious guardians of the home, and make excellent companions for dwarven children. More intelligent than most bears, the largest cavebears fight against the Abyssals. Their natural abilities and acute sense of smell allow dwarves to pinpoint Abyssals long before they appear, and the bears can identify the type and general number of Abyssals. Some dwarves train cavebears for battle. These trainers do not stay meekly in the stronghold while the bears do their work, but work with a pair of the bears in the same manner that a seeing-eye dog works with its master. Cavebear Masters are quite capable of fighting, and instruct their bears in group tactics. In fact, most Cavebear Masters spend so much time with their charges that they can communicate with them almost as readily as with other dwarves.
Hit Dice: d10
Requirements
To qualify to become a cavebear master, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Race: Dwarf
Skills: Handle Animal 8 ranks, Survival 4 ranks.
Feats: Skill Focus (Handle Animal).
Class Skills
The cavebear master's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (battle) (Int), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Use Rope (Dex).
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the cavebear master
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Cavebear masters are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor (light, medium, and heavy), and with shields (except tower shields).
Bear Companion (Ex): A cavebear gains the service of a loyal cave bear(use brown bear stats). See the druid class feature, pages 35-36 of the Player's Handbook. As a cavebear master gains class levels, her animal companion gains Hit Dice and other special abilities just as a druid's animal companion does.
Speak with Bears (Ex): A cavebear master can comprehend and communicate with bears. A cavebear master receives a +8 circumstance bonus on all wild empathy and Handle Animal checks made regarding a bear companion.
Formation Fighting (Ex): At 2nd level, the cavebear master becomes adept at instructing his bear companions in offensive group tactics. When engaged in melee combat with one or more bear companions, the cavebear master and each bear companion receives a +1 circumstance bonus to attack rolls.
Roar (Ex): At 3rd level, a cavebear master can emit a mighty roar that unsettles opponents. All opponents within 30 feet that can hear the cavebear master and has a character level lower than the cavebear master must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + cavebear master class level + Charisma modifier) or become shaken for 1d6 rounds.
Extra Animal Companion (Ex): At 4th level, a cavebear master gains a second bear companion. Treat the cavebear master as a druid whose level is equal to the cavebear master's class level -3 for the purpose of improving the bear companion's statistics.
At 7th level, a cavebear master gains a third bear companion. Treat the cavebear master as a druid whose level is equal to the cavebear master's class level -6 for the purpose of improving the animal companion's statistics.
At 10th level, a cavebear master gains a third bear companion. Treat the cavebear master as a druid whose level is equal to the cavebear master's class level -9 for the purpose of improving the animal companion's statistics.
Formation Defense (Ex): At 5th level, a cavebear master becomes adept at instructing his bear companions in defensive group tactics. When engaged in melee combat with one or more animal companions, the cavebear master and each bear companion receives a +2 circumstance bonus to AC.
Dire Bear Shape (Su): At 8th level, the cavebear master gains the ability to turn himself into a dire bear and back again. The selected bear form's Hit Dice cannot exceed the cavebear master's character level. This ability functions as the polymorph spell, except as noted here. Changing form is a standard action and doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity. The cavebear master may assume bear form (and change back) at will and may remain in bear form as long as he wishes. The cavebear master retains the ability to speak while in bear form and may communicate with other bears.
Mighty Roar (Ex): At 9th level, the cavebear master's roar becomes more unsettling. Opponents failing their Will save become panicked for 2d6 rounds.
Hit Dice: d10
| Level | Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +1 | +2 | +0 | +0 | Bear companion, Speak with bears |
| 2nd | +2 | +3 | +0 | +0 | Formation Fighting |
| 3rd | +3 | +3 | +1 | +1 | Roar (1/day) |
| 4th | +4 | +4 | +1 | +1 | Extra bear companion (-3) |
| 5th | +5 | +4 | +1 | +1 | Formation Defense |
| 6th | +6 | +5 | +2 | +2 | Roar (2/day) |
| 7th | +7 | +5 | +2 | +2 | Extra bear companion (-6) |
| 8th | +8 | +6 | +2 | +2 | Dire bear shape |
| 9th | +9 | +6 | +3 | +3 | Roar (3/day), mighty roar |
| 10th | +10 | +7 | +3 | +3 | Extra bear companion (-9) |
Requirements
To qualify to become a cavebear master, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Race: Dwarf
Skills: Handle Animal 8 ranks, Survival 4 ranks.
Feats: Skill Focus (Handle Animal).
Class Skills
The cavebear master's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (battle) (Int), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Use Rope (Dex).
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the cavebear master
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Cavebear masters are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor (light, medium, and heavy), and with shields (except tower shields).
Speak with Bears (Ex): A cavebear master can comprehend and communicate with bears. A cavebear master receives a +8 circumstance bonus on all wild empathy and Handle Animal checks made regarding a bear companion.
Formation Fighting (Ex): At 2nd level, the cavebear master becomes adept at instructing his bear companions in offensive group tactics. When engaged in melee combat with one or more bear companions, the cavebear master and each bear companion receives a +1 circumstance bonus to attack rolls.
Roar (Ex): At 3rd level, a cavebear master can emit a mighty roar that unsettles opponents. All opponents within 30 feet that can hear the cavebear master and has a character level lower than the cavebear master must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + cavebear master class level + Charisma modifier) or become shaken for 1d6 rounds.
Extra Animal Companion (Ex): At 4th level, a cavebear master gains a second bear companion. Treat the cavebear master as a druid whose level is equal to the cavebear master's class level -3 for the purpose of improving the bear companion's statistics.
At 7th level, a cavebear master gains a third bear companion. Treat the cavebear master as a druid whose level is equal to the cavebear master's class level -6 for the purpose of improving the animal companion's statistics.
At 10th level, a cavebear master gains a third bear companion. Treat the cavebear master as a druid whose level is equal to the cavebear master's class level -9 for the purpose of improving the animal companion's statistics.
Formation Defense (Ex): At 5th level, a cavebear master becomes adept at instructing his bear companions in defensive group tactics. When engaged in melee combat with one or more animal companions, the cavebear master and each bear companion receives a +2 circumstance bonus to AC.
Dire Bear Shape (Su): At 8th level, the cavebear master gains the ability to turn himself into a dire bear and back again. The selected bear form's Hit Dice cannot exceed the cavebear master's character level. This ability functions as the polymorph spell, except as noted here. Changing form is a standard action and doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity. The cavebear master may assume bear form (and change back) at will and may remain in bear form as long as he wishes. The cavebear master retains the ability to speak while in bear form and may communicate with other bears.
Mighty Roar (Ex): At 9th level, the cavebear master's roar becomes more unsettling. Opponents failing their Will save become panicked for 2d6 rounds.
Lycanthropes
Lycanthropes in the Accordlands differ from the ones found in the Monster Manual and are not the typical were-creatures found in fiction. The notable difference is that their condition is not a curse, therefore no afflicated lycanthropes exist in the Accordlands, but an evolution from the corrupting magical influence of Bascaron, the Broken Moon. Although they are often mistaken for worshipers of the hated Cult of Bascaron, and thus are hated and shunned by all races of the Accord.
Racial Traits
Beasthide [GENERAL]
Your natural armor becomes ticker and harder.
Prerequisites: Lycanthrope.
Benefit: You gain a +2 natural armor bonus to Armor Class in any form.
Extra Animal Form [GENERAL]
You gain an additional lycanthrope animal form.
Prerequisites: Lycanthrope, base Fortitude save +3, base Will save +3
Benefit: Select an animal, you gain the ability to assume this animal's form.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new animal.
Greater Werform Defense [GENERAL]
Prerequisites: Wereform Defense
Benefit: While in animal or hybrid form, you damage reduction improves to 4/silver.
Hybrid Form [GENERAL]
You gain a hybrid form.
Prerequisites: Lycanthrope, base Fortitude save +3, base Will save +3
Benefit: You can assume a bipedal hybrid form with prehensile hands that is a mix of your humanoid and animal forms. In hybrid form, you gain any natural attacks of the animal form and can use weapons and armor.
Large Animal Form [GENERAL]
Your animal form is of unusually large size.
Prerequisite: Lycanthrope.
Benefit: Your animal form becomes Large size. While in animal form, you gain a +8 size bonus to Strength, a -2 size penalty to Dexterity, a +4 size bonus to Constitution, a +2 natural armor size bonus to Armor Class, a -1 penalty to AC and attack rolls, and your Space/Reach changes to 10 ft./5 ft. Your natural weapons increase by one damage category (see table 4-3 of the MM).
Large Hybrid Form [GENERAL]
Your hybrid form is of unusually large size.
Prerequisites: Lycanthrope, Large Animal Form.
Benefit: Your hybrid form becomes Large size. While in hybrid form, you gain a +8 size bonus to Strength, a -2 size penalty to Dexterity, a +4 size bonus to Constitution, a +2 natural armor size bonus to Armor Class, a -1 size penalty to AC and attack rolls, and your Space/Reach changes to 10 ft./10 ft. Your natural weapons increase by one damage category (see table 4-3 of the MM).
Wereform Defense [GENERAL]
Prerequisites: Lycanthrope, base Fortitude save +4.
Benefit: While in animal or hybrid form, you gain damage reduction 2/silver.
Wereform Speech [GENERAL]
You perfect the ability to speak in your animal and hybrid forms.
Prerequisites: Lycanthrope
Benefit: You can speak normally in animal and hybrid form. Thus, you can cast spells with verbal components and use items that require a humanoid voice.
Racial Traits
- Starting Ability Score Adjustments: +2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma
- Medium: As Medium creatures, lycanthropes have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
- A lycanthrope's base land speed is 30 feet.
- Low-light vision in any form: A lycanthrope can see twice as far as ahuman in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
- Animal form(Su): A lycanthrope can tap into it's heritage and assume the form of animal. At character creation, the lycanthrope chooses a animal that represents it lycanthrope heritage. The lycanthrope can shift into animal form. This ability functions like the alternate form special ability (see the Monster Manual), except as noted here. The lycanthrope does not assume the ability scores of the animal, but instead adds the animal's ability score adjustments (see page 172 of the DMG) to his own. The lycanthrope retains it's size category while in animal form. A slain lycanthrope reverts back to humanoid form, although he remains dead. Separated body parts retain their animal form, however.
- +2 racial bonus on all Listen checks and Spot checks.
- Automatic Language: Common. Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages, such as Druidic).
- Favored Class: Ranger. A multiclass lycanthrope’s ranger class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty.
Animal Forms
When selecting an animal that is of large size or larger, use the the rules found in the MM on page 291 to reduce the animal to a medium creature before determining the ability score adjustments. Tiny and small creatures stats remain unchanged.Feats
The following feats are available to lycanthropes.Beasthide [GENERAL]
Your natural armor becomes ticker and harder.
Prerequisites: Lycanthrope.
Benefit: You gain a +2 natural armor bonus to Armor Class in any form.
Extra Animal Form [GENERAL]
You gain an additional lycanthrope animal form.
Prerequisites: Lycanthrope, base Fortitude save +3, base Will save +3
Benefit: Select an animal, you gain the ability to assume this animal's form.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new animal.
Greater Werform Defense [GENERAL]
Prerequisites: Wereform Defense
Benefit: While in animal or hybrid form, you damage reduction improves to 4/silver.
Hybrid Form [GENERAL]
You gain a hybrid form.
Prerequisites: Lycanthrope, base Fortitude save +3, base Will save +3
Benefit: You can assume a bipedal hybrid form with prehensile hands that is a mix of your humanoid and animal forms. In hybrid form, you gain any natural attacks of the animal form and can use weapons and armor.
Large Animal Form [GENERAL]
Your animal form is of unusually large size.
Prerequisite: Lycanthrope.
Benefit: Your animal form becomes Large size. While in animal form, you gain a +8 size bonus to Strength, a -2 size penalty to Dexterity, a +4 size bonus to Constitution, a +2 natural armor size bonus to Armor Class, a -1 penalty to AC and attack rolls, and your Space/Reach changes to 10 ft./5 ft. Your natural weapons increase by one damage category (see table 4-3 of the MM).
Large Hybrid Form [GENERAL]
Your hybrid form is of unusually large size.
Prerequisites: Lycanthrope, Large Animal Form.
Benefit: Your hybrid form becomes Large size. While in hybrid form, you gain a +8 size bonus to Strength, a -2 size penalty to Dexterity, a +4 size bonus to Constitution, a +2 natural armor size bonus to Armor Class, a -1 size penalty to AC and attack rolls, and your Space/Reach changes to 10 ft./10 ft. Your natural weapons increase by one damage category (see table 4-3 of the MM).
Wereform Defense [GENERAL]
Prerequisites: Lycanthrope, base Fortitude save +4.
Benefit: While in animal or hybrid form, you gain damage reduction 2/silver.
Wereform Speech [GENERAL]
You perfect the ability to speak in your animal and hybrid forms.
Prerequisites: Lycanthrope
Benefit: You can speak normally in animal and hybrid form. Thus, you can cast spells with verbal components and use items that require a humanoid voice.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)