*****************Plot****************** The demon lord Draxx sent each of you as part of an assault to steal a holy relic from a hidden monastery built into the side of a huge tree within the Misty Forest. The swarm of monsters sent forth by the demon lord contained the best units from his incredibly varied collection of loyal slaves.... undead, monstrosities, fiends, aberrations, elementals... Lord Draxx collects any creature he thinks may help him succeed in his evil schemes. After a long bloody battle with the wood-elf clerics guarding the relic, the minions of lord Draxx manage to slaughter the defenders and claim the relic. However, the moment they come into contact with the staff... the remaining members of the demon lords assault are immediately awakened and freed from the control held over them by Draxx. Draxx, realizing he has lost control of his minions and the holy relic will now stop at nothing to destroy his ungrateful minions and recover the relic once and for all... leaving you and your companions looking for a way to escape the wrath of Draxx and right some of the wrongs you were forced to commit in the servitude of the demon lord... either in hopes of your own salvation or to earn a place in the world of the living.
*************The Awakening************
As the few remaining members of the small army sent by Draxx to recover a holy relic, you find yourselves standing in the center of a bloody battlefield. Red and black blood swirling together between the bodies of undead, demons, and elves. Each of you compelled to slaughter every elf you find on the way towards your goal. In the middle of this huge tree tree that seems to have been molded into a temple, there are a number of beautiful pews and statues. Each of them living trees molded into works of art and functional pieces of furniture. At the far end of this large open space is an alter with what appears to be a long twisted staff that appears to be giving off a faint warm glow. The staff is floating above the alter which is located at the end of what looks like a long carpet of living flowers sprouting form the soft earth below your feet. As the group of you approach the glowing twisted wood staff and remove it from the alter, a warm pulse of radiant energy erupts from the staff. Each of you is sent flying and somersaulting backwards as the radiant light washes over each of you. A moment later the staff clatters to the ground and as each of your staggers to your feet and recovers from what just happened, you notice that you feel different. You feel a silent rage as an unseen chain is broken between each of you and Draxx... you no longer feel his presence and you realize that each of you once again has a free will... but not only that but much of the anger and hatred that lead many of you into the service of Draxx in the first place has faded. For the first time each of you can see clearly as you survey your surroundings and look upon this magical artifact that lay on the round in front of you... appearing little more than a wooden stick laying in a bed of flowers in front of a bloodstained alter. You know that Draxx considered each of you a slave and pieces of property owned by him... and he will do whatever he can to reclaim his property and the staff the wanted so badly....
As the holy light washes over Hungry, he seems startled. He looks around, sniffing the air and looks at the light outside, and runs deeper into the temple. His mouth drools as his stomach growls and he looks around for a meal, but recognizes that.... this isn’t right. He notices his situation and... it’s a bad one. A wretched one.
Odysseus flaps around, and looks at a body on the ground. He flaps to a dead fiend and starts to lap up the Ichor flowing out of it (blood. Fancy word for demon blood) after feasting, he feels that his connection is broken. He is free from Draax’s rule. He flies to the altar and looks at it, real closely.... for no result. He grabs the stick in his mouth and starts flying across the tree, only to go back into the shadows. (Stealth:8) (oh great crit fail)
He falls down and hits the ground. He then remembers something. He is meant to be a hero! He thinks. That might’ve just been a dream.
Hungry ignores the falling heads. No fear their. No, he goes to the stick, an attempts to figure out what it is besides a relic. He then goes to eat a dead elf, but once again holds himself back.
So Hungry looks at this twisted stick... and he remembers overhearing Draxx call it something once... The staff... no... the scepter of.... uhhh... Scepter of Souls, The wretched is able to remember the name but nothing else about the staff.
Scepter of Souls. Huh. Hungry goes over to the Harpy in the room, kicking the stick over. He then gives into his urges and starts eating a corpse. Any corpse, really.
Saida sits up, grimacing as she rubs her head. So much anger, so much hate, all siphoned away in a moment. To be honest, it felt like a hellish hangover more than anything else. She watches as the Wretched kicks her the artifact before it starts eating a body. She spoke, her voice strong and matronly, though audibly tired. "Is anyone else... have we all changed?" she asked, reaching out to pick up the scepter and examine it. Arcana: 11 Well, regardless of what it was, it would have been a great stick to build a nest.
Odysseus talks in a... really old tongue. My dear, I, Odysseus, do not sense any physical or mental disturbances. Have thy head experienced a mighty blow from a lion recently? He says as he joins Hungry in his feast.
As the harpy moves and picks up the staff, it feels warm to the touch and you get the feeling that the wood in the staff is still alive.. As though it were a pair of saplings intertwined. At the end of the twisted scepter are a pair of wooden prongs where it looks like something should rest in the top but there is nothing there and even before the radiant explosion, nothing had been sitting atop the scepter. The scepter gives off a faint glow and as you examine it, you recognize it as the Scepter of Souls and you know that this is only half of the relic. You cannot figure out what special properties the scepter has.
Thy stick is what the foul smelling demon Draax wanted, no? Why, I wonder. Shall we try and see what the branch does?
Odysseus takes a nice long look at the stick, and then attempts to take it and bring it outside. It may hurt his eyes, but he quickly goes back in the tree.
Arcana (to figure out its properties/other half (not intentionally) :4
The flying head spits it back out at the bird lady’s feet and starts complaining in elvish, before recognizing something. He can’t stay in this tree forever. Draax will find him. Lady, we have to get out of here. That Draax could be here any minute. He proceeds to look around at all the bodies on the ground for anything to shield his eyes from the sun.
Investigation:-2
(I got a freakin negative? What? That’s possible? How bad is my luck today?)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Chatters gets back up to his feet and begins clicking his jaw, he's surely swearing, but who knows really. He walks over to retrieve his old trusty scythe (glaive) off the ground after being blown back from the radiant burst. He looks around the tree temple with his now free mind taking in his surroundings.
Does Chatters notice a symbol on the altar? Also, how are these elves dressed?
The light of the sun blinds Odysseus for a second causing him to fly into one of the large wooden pillars in the room and fall to the ground again. After a moment the dazed head flutters back up from the ground and realizes that a number of the druids and elves that were protecting monastery the were wearing very thin black cloth over their eyes. You are pretty sure that if you could slip the cloth over your head that it would protect you from the bright light.
(Well great. How am I going to get it without arms? Hmm. Some creativity is in order.)
Odysseus sees the walking undead and takes note. He pushes over a dead body and attempts to take off the cloth from their eyes (would you like me to roll for that?)
Zinnripple picks himself up from the floor and shakes his head a few times, trying to clear the confusion from his mind. His initial thought was that Draxx had set him up, that this strange burst of energy was the demon lord's way to destroy him. Zinn's relationship with Draxx had always been contentious, neither trusted the other in the least.
As his eyes adjust to the scene and the ringing in his ears comes to a stop, however, Zinn sees that the others have survived. He sits silently and watches. Hungry and Odysseus begin munching on the dead. Saida takes a look at the scepter. Then Odysseus considers heading outside with it. Blood and gore are everywhere. As strange as all this is, nothing is stranger to Zinn than the sensation that he has somehow been set free from Draxx. He can feel it in his impish bones. He can sense it in his conniving little mind. For a moment he revels in this new, glorious truth, but then a sudden sense of dread crashes in on him. What if Draxx knows!?
Zinn hears Saida's words: Is anyone else... have we all changed?"
He responds, "Saida, I sense the tie between us and Draxx has been severed. That blast of energy and light has somehow created our freedom."
As the skeleton looks around the room, he notices that the elves were all either dressed in simple white and green robes with either white or black bands of cloth across their eyes... or light brown leather armor with simple white and green clothing underneath. Most of the bodies have simple weapons next to them. Based on the recent battle, you gather that it was primarily druids and clerics protecting this temple with a few unskilled followers mixed in. The alter and many of the robes and armor held by the defeated elves carry the symbol of silver unicorn, and the alter has a symbol of a unicorn engraved into the front.
Chatters also hears a very faint wimpering sound.....
(Well great. How am I going to get it without arms? Hmm. Some creativity is in order.)
Odysseus sees the walking undead and takes note. He pushes over a dead body and attempts to take off the cloth from their eyes (would you like me to roll for that?)
Give me a strength check to move the body and pull the cloth off the head using only the force of your small body and your tongue :P
*****************Plot******************
The demon lord Draxx sent each of you as part of an assault to steal a holy relic from a hidden monastery built into the side of a huge tree within the Misty Forest. The swarm of monsters sent forth by the demon lord contained the best units from his incredibly varied collection of loyal slaves.... undead, monstrosities, fiends, aberrations, elementals... Lord Draxx collects any creature he thinks may help him succeed in his evil schemes. After a long bloody battle with the wood-elf clerics guarding the relic, the minions of lord Draxx manage to slaughter the defenders and claim the relic. However, the moment they come into contact with the staff... the remaining members of the demon lords assault are immediately awakened and freed from the control held over them by Draxx. Draxx, realizing he has lost control of his minions and the holy relic will now stop at nothing to destroy his ungrateful minions and recover the relic once and for all... leaving you and your companions looking for a way to escape the wrath of Draxx and right some of the wrongs you were forced to commit in the servitude of the demon lord... either in hopes of your own salvation or to earn a place in the world of the living.
*************The Awakening************
As the few remaining members of the small army sent by Draxx to recover a holy relic, you find yourselves standing in the center of a bloody battlefield. Red and black blood swirling together between the bodies of undead, demons, and elves. Each of you compelled to slaughter every elf you find on the way towards your goal. In the middle of this huge tree tree that seems to have been molded into a temple, there are a number of beautiful pews and statues. Each of them living trees molded into works of art and functional pieces of furniture. At the far end of this large open space is an alter with what appears to be a long twisted staff that appears to be giving off a faint warm glow. The staff is floating above the alter which is located at the end of what looks like a long carpet of living flowers sprouting form the soft earth below your feet. As the group of you approach the glowing twisted wood staff and remove it from the alter, a warm pulse of radiant energy erupts from the staff. Each of you is sent flying and somersaulting backwards as the radiant light washes over each of you. A moment later the staff clatters to the ground and as each of your staggers to your feet and recovers from what just happened, you notice that you feel different. You feel a silent rage as an unseen chain is broken between each of you and Draxx... you no longer feel his presence and you realize that each of you once again has a free will... but not only that but much of the anger and hatred that lead many of you into the service of Draxx in the first place has faded. For the first time each of you can see clearly as you survey your surroundings and look upon this magical artifact that lay on the round in front of you... appearing little more than a wooden stick laying in a bed of flowers in front of a bloodstained alter. You know that Draxx considered each of you a slave and pieces of property owned by him... and he will do whatever he can to reclaim his property and the staff the wanted so badly....
(you may post at will!)
As the holy light washes over Hungry, he seems startled. He looks around, sniffing the air and looks at the light outside, and runs deeper into the temple. His mouth drools as his stomach growls and he looks around for a meal, but recognizes that.... this isn’t right. He notices his situation and... it’s a bad one. A wretched one.
Odysseus flaps around, and looks at a body on the ground. He flaps to a dead fiend and starts to lap up the Ichor flowing out of it (blood. Fancy word for demon blood) after feasting, he feels that his connection is broken. He is free from Draax’s rule. He flies to the altar and looks at it, real closely.... for no result. He grabs the stick in his mouth and starts flying across the tree, only to go back into the shadows. (Stealth:8) (oh great crit fail)
He falls down and hits the ground. He then remembers something. He is meant to be a hero! He thinks. That might’ve just been a dream.
(I imagined a pair of sunglasses falling down from the sky and landing on the wretched after that last line of your post)
The Wretched notices a loud clatter as Odysseus falls to the ground and the staff drops to the floor towards one of the far corners of the room.
Hungry ignores the falling heads. No fear their. No, he goes to the stick, an attempts to figure out what it is besides a relic. He then goes to eat a dead elf, but once again holds himself back.
Religion:11
So Hungry looks at this twisted stick... and he remembers overhearing Draxx call it something once... The staff... no... the scepter of.... uhhh... Scepter of Souls, The wretched is able to remember the name but nothing else about the staff.
Scepter of Souls. Huh. Hungry goes over to the Harpy in the room, kicking the stick over. He then gives into his urges and starts eating a corpse. Any corpse, really.
Saida sits up, grimacing as she rubs her head. So much anger, so much hate, all siphoned away in a moment. To be honest, it felt like a hellish hangover more than anything else. She watches as the Wretched kicks her the artifact before it starts eating a body. She spoke, her voice strong and matronly, though audibly tired. "Is anyone else... have we all changed?" she asked, reaching out to pick up the scepter and examine it. Arcana: 11 Well, regardless of what it was, it would have been a great stick to build a nest.
Jubilant/Tiefling/Warlock/The Guardians of Kinloran
Kalahari/Earth Genasi/Cleric/Eternal Warfare
Gin/Goblin/Cleric/Hidden Heroes
Suneni/Dragonborn/Monk/The Burning Dead
(I already forgot I can talk! What?)
Odysseus talks in a... really old tongue. My dear, I, Odysseus, do not sense any physical or mental disturbances. Have thy head experienced a mighty blow from a lion recently? He says as he joins Hungry in his feast.
As the harpy moves and picks up the staff, it feels warm to the touch and you get the feeling that the wood in the staff is still alive.. As though it were a pair of saplings intertwined. At the end of the twisted scepter are a pair of wooden prongs where it looks like something should rest in the top but there is nothing there and even before the radiant explosion, nothing had been sitting atop the scepter. The scepter gives off a faint glow and as you examine it, you recognize it as the Scepter of Souls and you know that this is only half of the relic. You cannot figure out what special properties the scepter has.
Thy stick is what the foul smelling demon Draax wanted, no? Why, I wonder. Shall we try and see what the branch does?
Odysseus takes a nice long look at the stick, and then attempts to take it and bring it outside. It may hurt his eyes, but he quickly goes back in the tree.
Arcana (to figure out its properties/other half (not intentionally) :4
i added the roll, wish it would save
Odysseus thinks it is just a stick... a shiny stick that doesn't taste very good.
The flying head spits it back out at the bird lady’s feet and starts complaining in elvish, before recognizing something. He can’t stay in this tree forever. Draax will find him. Lady, we have to get out of here. That Draax could be here any minute. He proceeds to look around at all the bodies on the ground for anything to shield his eyes from the sun.
Investigation:-2
(I got a freakin negative? What? That’s possible? How bad is my luck today?)
Chatters gets back up to his feet and begins clicking his jaw, he's surely swearing, but who knows really. He walks over to retrieve his old trusty scythe (glaive) off the ground after being blown back from the radiant burst. He looks around the tree temple with his now free mind taking in his surroundings.
Does Chatters notice a symbol on the altar? Also, how are these elves dressed?
Perception -> 6
A Graduation to be Remembered | A Village Bathed in Crimson
The light of the sun blinds Odysseus for a second causing him to fly into one of the large wooden pillars in the room and fall to the ground again. After a moment the dazed head flutters back up from the ground and realizes that a number of the druids and elves that were protecting monastery the were wearing very thin black cloth over their eyes. You are pretty sure that if you could slip the cloth over your head that it would protect you from the bright light.
(Well great. How am I going to get it without arms? Hmm. Some creativity is in order.)
Odysseus sees the walking undead and takes note. He pushes over a dead body and attempts to take off the cloth from their eyes (would you like me to roll for that?)
Zinnripple picks himself up from the floor and shakes his head a few times, trying to clear the confusion from his mind. His initial thought was that Draxx had set him up, that this strange burst of energy was the demon lord's way to destroy him. Zinn's relationship with Draxx had always been contentious, neither trusted the other in the least.
As his eyes adjust to the scene and the ringing in his ears comes to a stop, however, Zinn sees that the others have survived. He sits silently and watches. Hungry and Odysseus begin munching on the dead. Saida takes a look at the scepter. Then Odysseus considers heading outside with it. Blood and gore are everywhere. As strange as all this is, nothing is stranger to Zinn than the sensation that he has somehow been set free from Draxx. He can feel it in his impish bones. He can sense it in his conniving little mind. For a moment he revels in this new, glorious truth, but then a sudden sense of dread crashes in on him. What if Draxx knows!?
Zinn hears Saida's words: Is anyone else... have we all changed?"
He responds, "Saida, I sense the tie between us and Draxx has been severed. That blast of energy and light has somehow created our freedom."
As the skeleton looks around the room, he notices that the elves were all either dressed in simple white and green robes with either white or black bands of cloth across their eyes... or light brown leather armor with simple white and green clothing underneath. Most of the bodies have simple weapons next to them. Based on the recent battle, you gather that it was primarily druids and clerics protecting this temple with a few unskilled followers mixed in. The alter and many of the robes and armor held by the defeated elves carry the symbol of silver unicorn, and the alter has a symbol of a unicorn engraved into the front.
Chatters also hears a very faint wimpering sound.....
Give me a strength check to move the body and pull the cloth off the head using only the force of your small body and your tongue :P
Hearing sounds coming from something other than his crusading party he begins moving in that direction to see what this noise is.
Does he need another perception check to continue following the sound?
A Graduation to be Remembered | A Village Bathed in Crimson