The arrow strikes Ernie in the neck, stopping halfway through with a CHULK! Vines sprout from the arrow and consume Ernie’s form, but he continues to chant, a smile on his face.
A tear in reality opens and undulates like a living thing. Screams, sobbing, and sounds so unnatural, that the discordant cacaphony starts to fray the sanity of those around it. These sounds were not meant for mortal ears. Tentacles burst from the tear, black inky things, and grab Ernie, then Bert’s corpse, and tear both to pieces before your very eyes.
Ernie smiles as, before he is dismembered, he hangs from his hand what looks like the vague shape of a tiny person who silently screams and reaches out for Sacha. “I’ll be seeing you…” he sucks a piece of the ghostly person into his mouth. “Hmmm… yummy. Sacha.”
“I’ll have to make a new ear necklace again, eh-eh-eh-eh-eh.” The very dead Bert says as he is dismembered and pulled into the wailing tear. Ernie’s body parts follow and he smiles at Sacha hungrily. The tear seals, though not fully. It looks like a glowing black wound in the earth. When it closes, despite what other feelings you may have, you feel intense relief as the thoroughly disturbing, soul-shaking sounds come to an end.
DM: Combat has ended.
***
Rubber Ducky melts into a bubbling black go and it oozes through Morgan's coat, staining it with vile, otherworldly liquid. Lester stops dead and begins to scream. His face is etched in horror. "I can see... I can see! I can't stop it. W-what they... what're they? NOOOOOOOOO!!! ARRRRRGGGHHH!!!"
He collapses in the tunnel and babbles about the terrifying, unnatural things he is witnessing wherever Bert and Ernie have escaped to. Nothing makes sense and defies the very laws of nature. He howls and will go no further as his mind breaks under the unfathomable, indescribable things he is forced to witness.
Whoops. Leviathan, that was still the same turn that you had already taken an action for. I was just making space for Frekor to go before Ernie went. We will say the words still happened though.
“I didn’t,” Sacha pants, “I didn’t like that. Whatever that was.”
Sacha is exhausted and desperately needs rest. Another fight would probably be the end of her. Health wise a short rest would probably be enough, but with all uses of Rage and her tattoo spent, she’ll be far less effective than normal.
”I don’t reckon either of you have any idea what in the Nine Hells just happened?”
Remembering the explosion, Sacha runs over to the wounded and does whatever she can to help. Pulling up wreckage, moving them to more comfortable positions, anything.
“If you can heal, please, help.” She pleads.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
The arrow strikes Ernie in the neck, stopping halfway through with a CHULK! Vines sprout from the arrow and consume Ernie’s form, but he continues to chant, a smile on his face.
A tear in reality opens and undulates like a living thing. Screams, sobbing, and sounds so unnatural, that the discordant cacaphony starts to fray the sanity of those around it. These sounds were not meant for mortal ears. Tentacles burst from the tear, black inky things, and grab Ernie, then Bert’s corpse, and tear both to pieces before your very eyes.
Ernie smiles as, before he is dismembered, he hangs from his hand what looks like the vague shape of a tiny person who silently screams and reaches out for Sacha. “I’ll be seeing you…” he sucks a piece of the ghostly person into his mouth. “Hmmm… yummy. Sacha.”
“I’ll have to make a new ear necklace again, eh-eh-eh-eh-eh.” The very dead Bert says as he is dismembered and pulled into the wailing tear. Ernie’s body parts follow and he smiles at Sacha hungrily. The tear seals, though not fully. It looks like a glowing black wound in the earth. When it closes, despite what other feelings you may have, you feel intense relief as the thoroughly disturbing, soul-shaking sounds come to an end.
DM: Combat has ended.
-What the...?- says the ranger unable to understand how the enemy vanished and the words that he said before disappearing. He snaps out of his confusion and runs to help with the wreckage.
-Yeah, I can heal and stabilize the ones I can't.- responds before looking at the survivors to prioritize the ones that are in greater peril of dieing.
Ylis looks around at the wind blown landscape. Her mind is unnerved by the Bert and Ernie creatures, just purely repulsive...and they go t away...
With a shake of her head, she pats Sacha on the knee and trots off to check on Ayo's crew. There isn't really anything she can do but she runs to them anyway. Getting closer and seeing the wreckage of goods and bodies make tears run freely down the fur on her face.
OOC: What is the condition of Ayo's group?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
Morgan frantically shakes the garment, trying to fling off whatever filth just got on it. He checks the bundled duck and what's left of the poor man's eyes, wincing.
When Lester starts screaming and collapses, Morgan freezes, mind blank. He watches Brother Bombur step in, then gives a shaky nod. "Of... of course. Let's get him out."
As they haul Lester toward the exit, Morgan glances back at the "chamber" now going up in flames. Honestly, not the worst outcome for a place like this. And, well… an extra 400 gold pieces in his pockets doesn't hurt either.
(OOC: I'll put the loot into the party inventory, if that's ok. I only need 10 GP to change the form of the familiar.)
“If it be the will of the hammer, I’ll lay the man to rest, but for now I choose hope,” Bombur said. He continued to monitor the man, trying to intuit what care he might give to ease his suffering. [19 Arcana check to see if I can determine what’s going on. Also note I cast either lesser restoration or cure wounds]
Brother Bombur attempts to comfort Lester, but the man is seeing horrors unimaginable. He stops shouting when Bombur tries to comfort him with a casting of Lesser Restoration, but Lester is neither Blind, Deaf, Paralyzed, or Poisoned. The Cure Wounds magically seals the slice across his abdomen and even closes the wounds in his eye sockets, but the eyes remain missing. The only thing that can be said of Brother Bombur’s attempts is that Lester is no longer at risk of dying from infection.
Lester no longer will walk under his own power. He tries to cover his face, as if that could shield his eyes from what they see. “Kill… me. Please… I-I can’t... it’s horrible...”
Randa sets the abominable hovel of Bert and Ernie ablaze and burn it does. It almost is as if the room is eager to be cleansed by fire, the flames take to the room so quickly and powerfully. However, the smoke fills the tunnels and it becomes too difficult to search any other rooms for the moment. The heroes quickly make their exit from the cave.
Brother Bombur tries to determine the precise methods and magic that was used on Lester. The fact that the eyes are kept living despite being removed from the owner and without any blood flow is certainly Necomantic in nature, but there is something else. This is not conventional magic. It is otherworldly. Brother Bombur is well-schooled in the magical arts even though his focus is on the divine and he knows that these creatures are of the Far Realm.
Not much is typically known of the Far Realm. Some think it is simply as it is named and that it is just a plane that is distant from our own. Some schools of thought place it outside the known multiverse. This is the conventially accepted theory among scholars. Some philosophers though, believe that its root multiversal thread is distinct from our own and has no relationship to it at all, which would explain why it and the creatures that originate from it do not adhere to our understanding of natural laws. Abberations originate here and it is likely that, based on the magic you sense was used on Lester, that this magic is of that place.
It is a three hour journey at normal pace (four hours carrying Lester) back to the rest of the group, across a vast, barren field. You have pleny of time to consider the implications of this information. Dallur is long gone, having fled once he was freed of the Suggestion spell.
***
Frekor begins to administer aid to the blown up Ayo and her crew. Dermot, their Cleric, can also do a lot more once Frekor heals him of the more severe of his wounds. Ylis also is able to lend a hand, getting everyone on their feet again.
Ylis can see that Ayo and her crew are in rough shape, but all will be fine by tomorrow now that magical healing is being doled out. All they really need is food, water, and rest. Ayo reaches out for Ylis’ hand. She takes it as she lies on her back and pulls Ylis in close. “I saw you get him… the bastard that threw that thing into our wagon. You and Sacha put him down for us. I’ll never… EVER forget that." She kisses Ylis’ hand/paw and releases it so she can continue to recover.
The only person with a permanent injury is Entropy. Magical healing can close wounds and mend flesh, but no one here is talented enough to regrow missing parts. Her eye is gone. She dismisses any concern shown to her with a swat of her good arm. "It's just an eye. The gods saw fit to grace me with a spare."
Sacha… you feel you are missing something important. Or perhaps part of something important. It’s like someone took an icecream scooper and just ran it over you, scooping out something you love and leaving you with an empty feeling deep inside. You search for your connection to the World Tree and can still feel the tether to it, but there is a presence that doesn’t belong. Something or someone new and their presence is a violation to you. You do not have to investigate this feeling to know that it is Ernie. He disappears then, having accomplished what he was there to do – which is to show you that he now can touch this connection. You will feel his presence whenever you enter your Rage.
Because most of the people in this game are now new, I am reintroducing you to Ayo and all the other characters traveling along with you.
Ayo Jabe
As the de facto leader of a new, unnamed adventuring party, Ayo Jabe has a lot of responsibility on her shoulders. She and her companions have worked odd jobs around the town of Jigow for a few weeks before the heroes arrived in Jigow, and she’s starting to feel confident that they’re ready for real adventure.
Ayo is a water genasi who was born to orc parents during a terrible storm in the Emerald Gulch. Her family has lived in Jigow for generations, and she’s eager to leave home and see the world. When she saw the heroes given a vision and a literal Vestige of Divergence, a tool of the gods, she knew she had to tag along. The heroes were kind enough to allow her to come with them and she has been with the heroes since.
Ayo picked up her combat skills while working as a hunter for the town of Jigow and is exceptionally skilled with the spear. She recently convinced her childhood friend Dermot to join her new adventuring party, as well as Maggie Keeneyes, a mercenary who came to town several weeks ago. Despite Maggie’s initial brusque demeanor, she flowered into the verbose person she has always wanted to be and became a loyal friend of Ayo and Dermot, and the three of them have become inseparable, even as more adventurers have joined their party.
Ayo is hotheaded and appreciates people who make decisions as impulsively as she does. Nevertheless, she respects Dermot’s even-tempered advice and dutifully plays the role of the wise leader. She has no patience for people who are indecisive, and she is infuriated by people who don’t say what they really mean.
It has recently been learned by the party that she has a crush on Galsariad.
Dermot Wurder
When you’re the twelfth son of a poor goblin family in Jigow, the only way to make a name for yourself is to become a great champion—someone who can win bragging contests in the local taverns night after night. Young Dermot Wurder, however, wasn’t interested in performing feats of strength or agility that would win him a boast-worthy epithet. Fame wasn’t for him, nor was the aggressiveness that becoming famous required. He was more interested in cooking, planting flowers, and sewing clothes—doing the work that kept his family together while his carefree siblings dove off waterfalls and wrestled stray dogs.
Dermot and Ayo Jabe have known each other long enough that their first meeting has vanished into the haze of youthful pre-memory. Dermot accompanied Ayo whenever he could, packing herbs and medicines when they went exploring in the woods. When Ayo recently told him of her dream to form an adventuring party, he started training to wear heavy armor and threw himself into studying the faith of the Luxon so he could wield the blessings of the light to protect those he cares about.
Dermot may seem like a total pushover and he kind of is, but he is fiercely protective of his friends and furiously rebukes anyone who disparages or threatens them. But he is also a worrywart and will fret over many of the decisions that Ayo makes.
Galsariad Ardyth
Beautiful, ethereal, deathly, shadowy—all accurately describe Galsariad Ardyth, a drow in his two-hundredth year of life. He’s recently taken up the study of arcane magic, and he’s pursuing the life of an adventurer in hopes of improving his reputation within the Kryn Dynasty. Loquacious, snarky, and sarcastic to a fault, he’s ready with a barb for any occasion, but the more insightful of the heroes know that this is usually to mask his own insecurities, which run deep.
A city-dweller from the Kryn capital of Rosohna, Galsariad is blessed with sharp aesthetic sensibilities and an interest in ancient lore, especially history concerning the Age of Arcanum, Exandria’s long-lost magical golden age. He’s also one of the newest members of the rival party, having joined Ayo’s team the day before she left with the heroes, and Ayo is impressed by his ethereal elegance—and has a bit of a crush on him, even if he seems to be interested only in the arcane.
The heroes know that Galsariad appreciates people who share his interests and are willing to spend time studying with him, though he also likes it when people treat him with respect even if they don’t care about magic. He dislikes people who keep secrets from him, and hates when people judge him for being a novice at magic even though he’s centuries old.
Irvan Wastewalker
The name “Wastewalker” conjures fear on the plains of Xhorhas, as the name of a clan of murderous Xhorhasian nomads. Irvan was born into that clan, as Ylis recently learned, but he seems to want nothing to do with the family. He is a private person and has not shared much of his history with the heroes as of yet.
He cetainly likes to drink however, and seems to handle himself well even when intoxicated. Irv is young—just a few weeks past his nineteenth birthday. He met Ayo and her friends when he traveled to Jigow to experience its contests of strength and skill and they were deeply impressed by his ability to drink heavily and hit the bulleye on a target with some daggers while not even looking, all three times!
Maggie Keeneyes
People might laugh when a 12-foot-tall ogre orders a drink at a bar and says her name is Maggie, but they don’t laugh for long. Some people fixate on her name, her enormous size, her muscles, or the weapon at her side. Wiser folk take notice of Maggie’s bright blue eyes. All her life, people have considered Maggie a stupid meathead because of her size, but her eyes betray her intelligence. She can read others with a glance, whether in conversation or in a duel. When her eyes dart back and forth across a battlefield, they take in enough information to give her allies an advantage in the fight.
Things changed for Maggie when she first arrived in Jigow and met Ayo Jabe three weeks ago. She came looking for mercenary work to make ends meet but found a true friend instead. Ayo saw the intelligence in Maggie’s eyes and was keen to hear Maggie’s thoughts. They became fast friends, and Maggie would sooner die than let harm come to her new companion. She has even taken on a maternal role for Ayo – very much a mother bear. Be warned.
Maggie loves poetry and music with profound lyrics, as well as matching wits with people as clever as she is. She hates being stereotyped and has a dim view of those who are too quick to judge others. Conversation can be difficult to follow with her, as she tends to use 20 words where 3 will do.
Entropy
The party has yet to learn much of Entropy. She is incredibly strong, passionate, and delights in delivering violence upon those she finds worthy of it. She sees the world in absolutes, lacks remose for the blood she sheds, and may even be a bit unstable.
She has harsh words for people who try to seek advice, but her words are not cruel for its own sake; she speaks from her heart. It just so happens that her heart is made of iron and is studded with prickly barbs, but her heart is in the right place for those she deems good. She believes that people will be better for adopting her own path and is inflexible with the views of others.
Despite all these aparant flaws, these controversial convictions give her incredible power on the battlefield. She doesn’t need friends, but she welcomes allies and respects honesty, integrity, and those willing to die for their beliefs. She detests liars and thinks people who avoid battle are cowards, as she believes justice is found at the end of a blade and truth must be carved from the flanks of the wicked.
Rumble
Rumble is your horse! He is a draft horse who takes a great deal of pride in his recent ancestry of warhorses and pulls your wagon like it were some incredible chariot of a fine general. He is brave, strong, and one of the biggest horses most of you have ever seen. He casts a long shadow, has hooves that sound like an army all on their own, and will never run from a fight. He also enjoys stories and will become difficult to manage if he feels he has been denied epic tales for too long.
Hee and Haw
Ayo and her team didn’t have enough money to afford a horse, and had to borrow some money from the heroes so she could buy a mule to pull her wagon. It was recommended by the seller that she buy two mules to carry the weight of Maggie. The heroes were kind enough to give her the gold without even asking for anything in return. This has gained a lot of respect from Ayo, and has humbled her as well.
Hee and Haw are 80% gas, and they can be heard heeing and hawing as they fart at the coachman while they walk; their way of being pranksters. This is generally Ayo, who must endure what she calls their music. They are not brave, not fast, and definitely not interested in getting killed when battle arrives, but they can be trusted to pull the wagon without complaint, so long as they are given some apples once in a while.
Before they came fully upon the rest of the group Jacaranda placed a hand on Bomburs shoulder, " We should make the call before we meet up with the others....he has been witnessing horrors beyond horrors for hours now.....it is torture to endure it. We should end it."
She looked towards Morgan looking for a sign of acquiescence or acceptance.....
"I... I don't know." Morgan fidgets with his tarot deck, sliding the cards back and forth as a makeshift stress ball. "Maybe… maybe something that's been done can be undone. By a high-level cleric, or a temple, or… something. I honestly don't know how any of that works."
He hesitates, eyes flicking toward Lester.
"Maybe if he recovers—big 'if'—what he saw... or what he's seeing... could help us figure out what these things are planning. I…"
He hesitates again, voice thinning.
"I get he's suffering, but… I've never taken a life. Not unless it was defending myself. I don't think I'm… capable of doing it," he finally admits.
He looks around at the others, then down at his boots.
"If you all think it's the only way… then I'll help. I will. But… yeah. I'll help you."
Bombur considers. Is the only way to end his suffering to quench his connection to the forge of life? Or can he be cured of his affliction through other means? Can they retemper his mind?
[ooc: Bombur will wrack his brains trying to remember anything he can about the Far Realm. Anything he can use to save this man’s life.]
”Stay with us a little while longer, Lester,” Bombur says gently. “We shall not let your flame die out so easily.” He smooths the man’s hair back and eases him as much as possible. His voice is laced with magic as he says the word “rest.” [will use Command to try to calm Lester down. Would prefer calm emotions but we use what we got].
Turning to Jacaranda and Morgan, Bombur says in a low voice, “I’ll not give up on a life so easily. His wounds are necromantic in nature, and his mind has been touched by aberrations from the Far Realm. That magic is beyond me, but there are those who might know how to save Lester. I will tend his fire a bit longer, and pray that the blessings of the Allhammer will ring in his ears once more.”
“Do either of you have any wine or perhaps something stronger. Sleep will help Lester, I think.”
Frekor begins to administer aid to the blown up Ayo and her crew. Dermot, their Cleric, can also do a lot more once Frekor heals him of the more severe of his wounds. Ylis also is able to lend a hand, getting everyone on their feet again.
Ylis can see that Ayo and her crew are in rough shape, but all will be fine by tomorrow now that magical healing is being doled out. All they really need is food, water, and rest. Ayo reaches out for Ylis’ hand. She takes it as she lies on her back and pulls Ylis in close. “I saw you get him… the bastard that threw that thing into our wagon. You and Sacha put him down for us. I’ll never… EVER forget that." She kisses Ylis’ hand/paw and releases it so she can continue to recover.
The only person with a permanent injury is Entropy. Magical healing can close wounds and mend flesh, but no one here is talented enough to regrow missing parts. Her eye is gone. She dismisses any concern shown to her with a swat of her good arm. "It's just an eye. The gods saw fit to grace me with a spare."
The ranger notices The Luxon's symbol in Dermot's armor and deduces that he is a cleric. Even though Dermot is a Luxon follower, Frekor can't let him just die there, especially knowing that he can help heal the rest of the party, so he rushes to his side ho heal him.
-Don't worry, you'll be ok. I know that you are hurt, but we need your help.- says before putin his hand on Dermot's chest, closes his own eyes and speaks for magic to come forth. -World, please grant me the power to save this man.-
(Spell Cure wounds, Dermot gets 13 hp)
-Get up when you can so you can help.- says Frekor before standing up and looking for anyone that needs more assistance.
Bombur considers. Is the only way to end his suffering to quench his connection to the forge of life? Or can he be cured of his affliction through other means? Can they retemper his mind?
[ooc: Bombur will wrack his brains trying to remember anything he can about the Far Realm. Anything he can use to save this man’s life.]
”Stay with us a little while longer, Lester,” Bombur says gently. “We shall not let your flame die out so easily.” He smooths the man’s hair back and eases him as much as possible. His voice is laced with magic as he says the word “rest.” [will use Command to try to calm Lester down. Would prefer calm emotions but we use what we got].
Turning to Jacaranda and Morgan, Bombur says in a low voice, “I’ll not give up on a life so easily. His wounds are necromantic in nature, and his mind has been touched by aberrations from the Far Realm. That magic is beyond me, but there are those who might know how to save Lester. I will tend his fire a bit longer, and pray that the blessings of the Allhammer will ring in his ears once more.”
“Do either of you have any wine or perhaps something stronger. Sleep will help Lester, I think.”
Morgan shakes his head, looking discouraged. "No… Unfortunately, I've got nothing. If it helps, I can put him to sleep for a few minutes. It may give him a bit of relief but it won't fix much."
Morgan nods to Brother Bombur and draws the first card from his tarot deck, without looking. The Moon (XVIII) "Of course," he whispers.
He places the card on the reeling bandit's forehead. "I hope this helps, even a little. If you survive this… remember next time to steer clear of random caravans." He casts Sleep (DC 15, WIS)
Ylis gives a hug to Frekor "Thank you so much for your help. We were in desperate straits." she gives him a pat on the foot and looks up to see the returning expedition.
When the members of the field trip return, Ylis bounces over then slows as she notices the extra bodies. She doesn't know them but Randa isn't showing distress so they must be ok-ish. She gives the fighter a flying tackle hug and mumbles something under her breath.
Sliding to the ground, she looks at Morgan and beams a smile at him. "So did you find something cool? Get some awesome monies? How are you doing? I see you brought some company back with you." she continues to smile, almost waiting for Morgan to reply.
"Shut the freck up!" her face goes calm and her spear begins to glow.
"As you can see we were a little busy while you were gone." she smiles again. "Look over there, that chunk of meat came from Maggie's shoulder. That pile of bloody wood we dug out of Galsariad. It's pieces of their wagon that blew up! Isn't that wonderful?"
Ylis leads Morgan to Entropy, "See that? she lost half her face." her head tilts to see if Morgan comprehends.
"The plan was simple. We already had funds. But SOME people didn't understand that did they?!" The bunny girls lets out a long sigh, "Loot! That's all they heard! The moment the dust settled—no, scratch that—the moment the dust started to settle, before we could recuperate, Morgan was off! A whispered rumor about something shiny, some piece of worthless crap was apparently more important than the lives and well-being of the people standing right next to him!"
"And what was the result of this magnificent display of self-interest? LOOK!" She makes a broad gesture at the shattered and burnt ground and the injured people. "The yellow and red ******** caught up to us because we were waiting for YOU! Entropy lost an eye because of you! Sacha lost a part of her soul because of you!
"This isn't a treasure hunt! This isn't a leisure stroll in the park! YOUR blinding, idiotic greed has put us all in jeopardy! You didn't get hurt yourself did you?! Not at all. You turned an easy escape into a disaster! We all almost died because of you."
Ylis walks away from him and back to the new comers. Looking at the priest her ears perk up. "You're not a bandit." She looks at Lester, "This is a bandit." and rams a dagger into his heart, a clean kill.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
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The arrow strikes Ernie in the neck, stopping halfway through with a CHULK! Vines sprout from the arrow and consume Ernie’s form, but he continues to chant, a smile on his face.
A tear in reality opens and undulates like a living thing. Screams, sobbing, and sounds so unnatural, that the discordant cacaphony starts to fray the sanity of those around it. These sounds were not meant for mortal ears. Tentacles burst from the tear, black inky things, and grab Ernie, then Bert’s corpse, and tear both to pieces before your very eyes.
Ernie smiles as, before he is dismembered, he hangs from his hand what looks like the vague shape of a tiny person who silently screams and reaches out for Sacha. “I’ll be seeing you…” he sucks a piece of the ghostly person into his mouth. “Hmmm… yummy. Sacha.”
“I’ll have to make a new ear necklace again, eh-eh-eh-eh-eh.” The very dead Bert says as he is dismembered and pulled into the wailing tear. Ernie’s body parts follow and he smiles at Sacha hungrily. The tear seals, though not fully. It looks like a glowing black wound in the earth. When it closes, despite what other feelings you may have, you feel intense relief as the thoroughly disturbing, soul-shaking sounds come to an end.
DM: Combat has ended.
***
Rubber Ducky melts into a bubbling black go and it oozes through Morgan's coat, staining it with vile, otherworldly liquid. Lester stops dead and begins to scream. His face is etched in horror. "I can see... I can see! I can't stop it. W-what they... what're they? NOOOOOOOOO!!! ARRRRRGGGHHH!!!"
He collapses in the tunnel and babbles about the terrifying, unnatural things he is witnessing wherever Bert and Ernie have escaped to. Nothing makes sense and defies the very laws of nature. He howls and will go no further as his mind breaks under the unfathomable, indescribable things he is forced to witness.
DM mostly, Player occasionally | Session 0 form | He/Him/They/Them
EXTENDED SIGNATURE!
Doctor/Published Scholar/Science and Healthcare Advocate/Critter/Trekkie/Gandalf with a Glock
Try DDB free: Free Rules (2024), premade PCs, adventures, one shots, encounters, SC, homebrew, more
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Check out my life-changing
Whoops. Leviathan, that was still the same turn that you had already taken an action for. I was just making space for Frekor to go before Ernie went. We will say the words still happened though.
DM mostly, Player occasionally | Session 0 form | He/Him/They/Them
EXTENDED SIGNATURE!
Doctor/Published Scholar/Science and Healthcare Advocate/Critter/Trekkie/Gandalf with a Glock
Try DDB free: Free Rules (2024), premade PCs, adventures, one shots, encounters, SC, homebrew, more
Answers: physical books, purchases, and subbing.
Check out my life-changing
Ah, my bad. Thanks for the correction. I've edited the post.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
“I didn’t,” Sacha pants, “I didn’t like that. Whatever that was.”
Sacha is exhausted and desperately needs rest. Another fight would probably be the end of her. Health wise a short rest would probably be enough, but with all uses of Rage and her tattoo spent, she’ll be far less effective than normal.
”I don’t reckon either of you have any idea what in the Nine Hells just happened?”
Remembering the explosion, Sacha runs over to the wounded and does whatever she can to help. Pulling up wreckage, moving them to more comfortable positions, anything.
“If you can heal, please, help.” She pleads.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
Brother Bombur reaches out and touches Lester. “Be at peace, my son.”
[if it seems like lesser restoration might help Lester’s situation I will cast that. If not I’ll cast cure wounds].
He tries to get the man to his feet so they can depart the cave with him.
“Morgan, help me with Lester. Forget the loot. We’re talking about a man’s life, here.”
Middle Grade Author
-What the...?- says the ranger unable to understand how the enemy vanished and the words that he said before disappearing. He snaps out of his confusion and runs to help with the wreckage.
-Yeah, I can heal and stabilize the ones I can't.- responds before looking at the survivors to prioritize the ones that are in greater peril of dieing.
Goliath monk Khaddim, High elf ranger Frekor, Dragonborn sorcerer Godfrey, Goliath blood hunter Albus, High elf druid Charis, Human rogue Garrett
Ylis looks around at the wind blown landscape. Her mind is unnerved by the Bert and Ernie creatures, just purely repulsive...and they go t away...
With a shake of her head, she pats Sacha on the knee and trots off to check on Ayo's crew. There isn't really anything she can do but she runs to them anyway. Getting closer and seeing the wreckage of goods and bodies make tears run freely down the fur on her face.
OOC: What is the condition of Ayo's group?
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
Randa sighs deeply, " Ok, I guess we're taking him with us then....."
" Next time I'm staying on the road...."
Before leaving the cave she poured oil over the ' laboratory' and set it alight.
She cast an eye over the recently maddened Lester.
" Might be kinder to let him rest permanently.....I have no idea what just happened to him...", she whispered to the others as they headed back.
"What the... ah... shit... No! My coat!"
Morgan frantically shakes the garment, trying to fling off whatever filth just got on it. He checks the bundled duck and what's left of the poor man's eyes, wincing.
When Lester starts screaming and collapses, Morgan freezes, mind blank. He watches Brother Bombur step in, then gives a shaky nod.
"Of... of course. Let's get him out."
As they haul Lester toward the exit, Morgan glances back at the "chamber" now going up in flames. Honestly, not the worst outcome for a place like this. And, well… an extra 400 gold pieces in his pockets doesn't hurt either.
(OOC: I'll put the loot into the party inventory, if that's ok. I only need 10 GP to change the form of the familiar.)
“If it be the will of the hammer, I’ll lay the man to rest, but for now I choose hope,” Bombur said. He continued to monitor the man, trying to intuit what care he might give to ease his suffering. [19 Arcana check to see if I can determine what’s going on. Also note I cast either lesser restoration or cure wounds]
Middle Grade Author
Brother Bombur attempts to comfort Lester, but the man is seeing horrors unimaginable. He stops shouting when Bombur tries to comfort him with a casting of Lesser Restoration, but Lester is neither Blind, Deaf, Paralyzed, or Poisoned. The Cure Wounds magically seals the slice across his abdomen and even closes the wounds in his eye sockets, but the eyes remain missing. The only thing that can be said of Brother Bombur’s attempts is that Lester is no longer at risk of dying from infection.
Lester no longer will walk under his own power. He tries to cover his face, as if that could shield his eyes from what they see. “Kill… me. Please… I-I can’t... it’s horrible...”
Randa sets the abominable hovel of Bert and Ernie ablaze and burn it does. It almost is as if the room is eager to be cleansed by fire, the flames take to the room so quickly and powerfully. However, the smoke fills the tunnels and it becomes too difficult to search any other rooms for the moment. The heroes quickly make their exit from the cave.
Brother Bombur tries to determine the precise methods and magic that was used on Lester. The fact that the eyes are kept living despite being removed from the owner and without any blood flow is certainly Necomantic in nature, but there is something else. This is not conventional magic. It is otherworldly. Brother Bombur is well-schooled in the magical arts even though his focus is on the divine and he knows that these creatures are of the Far Realm.
Not much is typically known of the Far Realm. Some think it is simply as it is named and that it is just a plane that is distant from our own. Some schools of thought place it outside the known multiverse. This is the conventially accepted theory among scholars. Some philosophers though, believe that its root multiversal thread is distinct from our own and has no relationship to it at all, which would explain why it and the creatures that originate from it do not adhere to our understanding of natural laws. Abberations originate here and it is likely that, based on the magic you sense was used on Lester, that this magic is of that place.
It is a three hour journey at normal pace (four hours carrying Lester) back to the rest of the group, across a vast, barren field. You have pleny of time to consider the implications of this information. Dallur is long gone, having fled once he was freed of the Suggestion spell.
***
Frekor begins to administer aid to the blown up Ayo and her crew. Dermot, their Cleric, can also do a lot more once Frekor heals him of the more severe of his wounds. Ylis also is able to lend a hand, getting everyone on their feet again.
Ylis can see that Ayo and her crew are in rough shape, but all will be fine by tomorrow now that magical healing is being doled out. All they really need is food, water, and rest. Ayo reaches out for Ylis’ hand. She takes it as she lies on her back and pulls Ylis in close. “I saw you get him… the bastard that threw that thing into our wagon. You and Sacha put him down for us. I’ll never… EVER forget that." She kisses Ylis’ hand/paw and releases it so she can continue to recover.
The only person with a permanent injury is Entropy. Magical healing can close wounds and mend flesh, but no one here is talented enough to regrow missing parts. Her eye is gone. She dismisses any concern shown to her with a swat of her good arm. "It's just an eye. The gods saw fit to grace me with a spare."
Sacha… you feel you are missing something important. Or perhaps part of something important. It’s like someone took an icecream scooper and just ran it over you, scooping out something you love and leaving you with an empty feeling deep inside. You search for your connection to the World Tree and can still feel the tether to it, but there is a presence that doesn’t belong. Something or someone new and their presence is a violation to you. You do not have to investigate this feeling to know that it is Ernie. He disappears then, having accomplished what he was there to do – which is to show you that he now can touch this connection. You will feel his presence whenever you enter your Rage.
DM mostly, Player occasionally | Session 0 form | He/Him/They/Them
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Because most of the people in this game are now new, I am reintroducing you to Ayo and all the other characters traveling along with you.
Ayo Jabe
As the de facto leader of a new, unnamed adventuring party, Ayo Jabe has a lot of responsibility on her shoulders. She and her companions have worked odd jobs around the town of Jigow for a few weeks before the heroes arrived in Jigow, and she’s starting to feel confident that they’re ready for real adventure.
Ayo is a water genasi who was born to orc parents during a terrible storm in the Emerald Gulch. Her family has lived in Jigow for generations, and she’s eager to leave home and see the world. When she saw the heroes given a vision and a literal Vestige of Divergence, a tool of the gods, she knew she had to tag along. The heroes were kind enough to allow her to come with them and she has been with the heroes since.
Ayo picked up her combat skills while working as a hunter for the town of Jigow and is exceptionally skilled with the spear. She recently convinced her childhood friend Dermot to join her new adventuring party, as well as Maggie Keeneyes, a mercenary who came to town several weeks ago. Despite Maggie’s initial brusque demeanor, she flowered into the verbose person she has always wanted to be and became a loyal friend of Ayo and Dermot, and the three of them have become inseparable, even as more adventurers have joined their party.
Ayo is hotheaded and appreciates people who make decisions as impulsively as she does. Nevertheless, she respects Dermot’s even-tempered advice and dutifully plays the role of the wise leader. She has no patience for people who are indecisive, and she is infuriated by people who don’t say what they really mean.
It has recently been learned by the party that she has a crush on Galsariad.
Dermot Wurder
When you’re the twelfth son of a poor goblin family in Jigow, the only way to make a name for yourself is to become a great champion—someone who can win bragging contests in the local taverns night after night. Young Dermot Wurder, however, wasn’t interested in performing feats of strength or agility that would win him a boast-worthy epithet. Fame wasn’t for him, nor was the aggressiveness that becoming famous required. He was more interested in cooking, planting flowers, and sewing clothes—doing the work that kept his family together while his carefree siblings dove off waterfalls and wrestled stray dogs.
Dermot and Ayo Jabe have known each other long enough that their first meeting has vanished into the haze of youthful pre-memory. Dermot accompanied Ayo whenever he could, packing herbs and medicines when they went exploring in the woods. When Ayo recently told him of her dream to form an adventuring party, he started training to wear heavy armor and threw himself into studying the faith of the Luxon so he could wield the blessings of the light to protect those he cares about.
Dermot may seem like a total pushover and he kind of is, but he is fiercely protective of his friends and furiously rebukes anyone who disparages or threatens them. But he is also a worrywart and will fret over many of the decisions that Ayo makes.
Galsariad Ardyth
Beautiful, ethereal, deathly, shadowy—all accurately describe Galsariad Ardyth, a drow in his two-hundredth year of life. He’s recently taken up the study of arcane magic, and he’s pursuing the life of an adventurer in hopes of improving his reputation within the Kryn Dynasty. Loquacious, snarky, and sarcastic to a fault, he’s ready with a barb for any occasion, but the more insightful of the heroes know that this is usually to mask his own insecurities, which run deep.
A city-dweller from the Kryn capital of Rosohna, Galsariad is blessed with sharp aesthetic sensibilities and an interest in ancient lore, especially history concerning the Age of Arcanum, Exandria’s long-lost magical golden age. He’s also one of the newest members of the rival party, having joined Ayo’s team the day before she left with the heroes, and Ayo is impressed by his ethereal elegance—and has a bit of a crush on him, even if he seems to be interested only in the arcane.
The heroes know that Galsariad appreciates people who share his interests and are willing to spend time studying with him, though he also likes it when people treat him with respect even if they don’t care about magic. He dislikes people who keep secrets from him, and hates when people judge him for being a novice at magic even though he’s centuries old.
Irvan Wastewalker
The name “Wastewalker” conjures fear on the plains of Xhorhas, as the name of a clan of murderous Xhorhasian nomads. Irvan was born into that clan, as Ylis recently learned, but he seems to want nothing to do with the family. He is a private person and has not shared much of his history with the heroes as of yet.
He cetainly likes to drink however, and seems to handle himself well even when intoxicated. Irv is young—just a few weeks past his nineteenth birthday. He met Ayo and her friends when he traveled to Jigow to experience its contests of strength and skill and they were deeply impressed by his ability to drink heavily and hit the bulleye on a target with some daggers while not even looking, all three times!
Maggie Keeneyes
People might laugh when a 12-foot-tall ogre orders a drink at a bar and says her name is Maggie, but they don’t laugh for long. Some people fixate on her name, her enormous size, her muscles, or the weapon at her side. Wiser folk take notice of Maggie’s bright blue eyes. All her life, people have considered Maggie a stupid meathead because of her size, but her eyes betray her intelligence. She can read others with a glance, whether in conversation or in a duel. When her eyes dart back and forth across a battlefield, they take in enough information to give her allies an advantage in the fight.
Things changed for Maggie when she first arrived in Jigow and met Ayo Jabe three weeks ago. She came looking for mercenary work to make ends meet but found a true friend instead. Ayo saw the intelligence in Maggie’s eyes and was keen to hear Maggie’s thoughts. They became fast friends, and Maggie would sooner die than let harm come to her new companion. She has even taken on a maternal role for Ayo – very much a mother bear. Be warned.
Maggie loves poetry and music with profound lyrics, as well as matching wits with people as clever as she is. She hates being stereotyped and has a dim view of those who are too quick to judge others. Conversation can be difficult to follow with her, as she tends to use 20 words where 3 will do.
Entropy
The party has yet to learn much of Entropy. She is incredibly strong, passionate, and delights in delivering violence upon those she finds worthy of it. She sees the world in absolutes, lacks remose for the blood she sheds, and may even be a bit unstable.
She has harsh words for people who try to seek advice, but her words are not cruel for its own sake; she speaks from her heart. It just so happens that her heart is made of iron and is studded with prickly barbs, but her heart is in the right place for those she deems good. She believes that people will be better for adopting her own path and is inflexible with the views of others.
Despite all these aparant flaws, these controversial convictions give her incredible power on the battlefield. She doesn’t need friends, but she welcomes allies and respects honesty, integrity, and those willing to die for their beliefs. She detests liars and thinks people who avoid battle are cowards, as she believes justice is found at the end of a blade and truth must be carved from the flanks of the wicked.
Rumble
Rumble is your horse! He is a draft horse who takes a great deal of pride in his recent ancestry of warhorses and pulls your wagon like it were some incredible chariot of a fine general. He is brave, strong, and one of the biggest horses most of you have ever seen. He casts a long shadow, has hooves that sound like an army all on their own, and will never run from a fight. He also enjoys stories and will become difficult to manage if he feels he has been denied epic tales for too long.
Hee and Haw
Ayo and her team didn’t have enough money to afford a horse, and had to borrow some money from the heroes so she could buy a mule to pull her wagon. It was recommended by the seller that she buy two mules to carry the weight of Maggie. The heroes were kind enough to give her the gold without even asking for anything in return. This has gained a lot of respect from Ayo, and has humbled her as well.
Hee and Haw are 80% gas, and they can be heard heeing and hawing as they fart at the coachman while they walk; their way of being pranksters. This is generally Ayo, who must endure what she calls their music. They are not brave, not fast, and definitely not interested in getting killed when battle arrives, but they can be trusted to pull the wagon without complaint, so long as they are given some apples once in a while.
DM mostly, Player occasionally | Session 0 form | He/Him/They/Them
EXTENDED SIGNATURE!
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Before they came fully upon the rest of the group Jacaranda placed a hand on Bomburs shoulder, " We should make the call before we meet up with the others....he has been witnessing horrors beyond horrors for hours now.....it is torture to endure it. We should end it."
She looked towards Morgan looking for a sign of acquiescence or acceptance.....
"I... I don't know." Morgan fidgets with his tarot deck, sliding the cards back and forth as a makeshift stress ball.
"Maybe… maybe something that's been done can be undone. By a high-level cleric, or a temple, or… something. I honestly don't know how any of that works."
He hesitates, eyes flicking toward Lester.
"Maybe if he recovers—big 'if'—what he saw... or what he's seeing... could help us figure out what these things are planning. I…"
He hesitates again, voice thinning.
"I get he's suffering, but… I've never taken a life. Not unless it was defending myself. I don't think I'm… capable of doing it," he finally admits.
He looks around at the others, then down at his boots.
"If you all think it's the only way… then I'll help. I will. But… yeah. I'll help you."
Bombur considers. Is the only way to end his suffering to quench his connection to the forge of life? Or can he be cured of his affliction through other means? Can they retemper his mind?
[ooc: Bombur will wrack his brains trying to remember anything he can about the Far Realm. Anything he can use to save this man’s life.]
”Stay with us a little while longer, Lester,” Bombur says gently. “We shall not let your flame die out so easily.” He smooths the man’s hair back and eases him as much as possible. His voice is laced with magic as he says the word “rest.” [will use Command to try to calm Lester down. Would prefer calm emotions but we use what we got].
Turning to Jacaranda and Morgan, Bombur says in a low voice, “I’ll not give up on a life so easily. His wounds are necromantic in nature, and his mind has been touched by aberrations from the Far Realm. That magic is beyond me, but there are those who might know how to save Lester. I will tend his fire a bit longer, and pray that the blessings of the Allhammer will ring in his ears once more.”
“Do either of you have any wine or perhaps something stronger. Sleep will help Lester, I think.”
Middle Grade Author
The ranger notices The Luxon's symbol in Dermot's armor and deduces that he is a cleric. Even though Dermot is a Luxon follower, Frekor can't let him just die there, especially knowing that he can help heal the rest of the party, so he rushes to his side ho heal him.
-Don't worry, you'll be ok. I know that you are hurt, but we need your help.- says before putin his hand on Dermot's chest, closes his own eyes and speaks for magic to come forth. -World, please grant me the power to save this man.-
(Spell Cure wounds, Dermot gets 13 hp)
-Get up when you can so you can help.- says Frekor before standing up and looking for anyone that needs more assistance.
Goliath monk Khaddim, High elf ranger Frekor, Dragonborn sorcerer Godfrey, Goliath blood hunter Albus, High elf druid Charis, Human rogue Garrett
Morgan shakes his head, looking discouraged.
"No… Unfortunately, I've got nothing. If it helps, I can put him to sleep for a few minutes. It may give him a bit of relief but it won't fix much."
“Aye, anything to stop the ringing of the anvil, my friend.”
Middle Grade Author
Morgan nods to Brother Bombur and draws the first card from his tarot deck, without looking.
The Moon (XVIII)
"Of course," he whispers.
He places the card on the reeling bandit's forehead.
"I hope this helps, even a little. If you survive this… remember next time to steer clear of random caravans."
He casts Sleep (DC 15, WIS)
Ylis gives a hug to Frekor "Thank you so much for your help. We were in desperate straits." she gives him a pat on the foot and looks up to see the returning expedition.
When the members of the field trip return, Ylis bounces over then slows as she notices the extra bodies. She doesn't know them but Randa isn't showing distress so they must be ok-ish. She gives the fighter a flying tackle hug and mumbles something under her breath.
Sliding to the ground, she looks at Morgan and beams a smile at him. "So did you find something cool? Get some awesome monies? How are you doing? I see you brought some company back with you." she continues to smile, almost waiting for Morgan to reply.
"Shut the freck up!" her face goes calm and her spear begins to glow.
"As you can see we were a little busy while you were gone." she smiles again. "Look over there, that chunk of meat came from Maggie's shoulder. That pile of bloody wood we dug out of Galsariad. It's pieces of their wagon that blew up! Isn't that wonderful?"
Ylis leads Morgan to Entropy, "See that? she lost half her face." her head tilts to see if Morgan comprehends.
"The plan was simple. We already had funds. But SOME people didn't understand that did they?!" The bunny girls lets out a long sigh, "Loot! That's all they heard! The moment the dust settled—no, scratch that—the moment the dust started to settle, before we could recuperate, Morgan was off! A whispered rumor about something shiny, some piece of worthless crap was apparently more important than the lives and well-being of the people standing right next to him!"
"And what was the result of this magnificent display of self-interest? LOOK!" She makes a broad gesture at the shattered and burnt ground and the injured people. "The yellow and red ******** caught up to us because we were waiting for YOU! Entropy lost an eye because of you! Sacha lost a part of her soul because of you!
"This isn't a treasure hunt! This isn't a leisure stroll in the park! YOUR blinding, idiotic greed has put us all in jeopardy! You didn't get hurt yourself did you?! Not at all. You turned an easy escape into a disaster! We all almost died because of you."
Ylis walks away from him and back to the new comers. Looking at the priest her ears perk up. "You're not a bandit." She looks at Lester, "This is a bandit." and rams a dagger into his heart, a clean kill.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale