Fiss: Zupken?

Ken (GM): zum kinda CAFFINE

Adolf S.: Fug me, today went from simple to complicated.

Ken (GM): oh?

Fiss: Bleah for Complicated

Adolf S.: Schedule last night was “ayy, jack-shit aside from a phone call”

and that phone call turned into a handful of’m. Was worried. S’alright now though.

Ken (GM): Oh well, I suppose youll live for the moment

So i have a new gray, suthri and rod

any new syviis or bomrek sheets?

Fiss: Ahh, I can send mine over, no updates in the last few sessions though

Adolf S.: I still have a backlog of points I’ve yet to invest. I’ll tackle that sheet o’ mine within the next few mins.

Ken (GM): awesome danke

Adolf S.: All my points are being funneled into accounting

Gotta have a nest egg for later in life

Fiss: I’m putting 16 points into Dank Memes I think.

Or…wait till I have 20 and add another DX

Probably the memes.

We’ll see

Ken (GM): hahah

y’all are nuts

Fiss: It’s true.

Hehe

Ken (GM): h’okay babys fed, changed and lunching

wife watching

me eating

WHAT DO YOU DOOOO?!

Fiss: I CHECK UNDER THE BABY FOR GOLD COINS

Ken (GM) the hall of the Crumbling Keep lies quiet now, the chirping of birds outside breaking the light sussurus of wind in the canopy rooftop. Open sky above shows blue and grey with clouds between twisted soaring thorny branches. The rubble of a shattered demonic statue is shoved aside as Gray scrapes out the last of the profane marking on the ground. Suðri and Bomrek have reloaded, plugging their rifles with fresh shot and powder.

All about you, the keep is quiet as the dead…

Bomrek dismounts his bayonet, clinking loudly in the silent halls.

Syviis: Can I see any flow or ebb of power lingering?

Or is this the extent of their damned ritual

(To Syviis): The swirl of spirits and magic has ebbed and stilled; lingering here and there are thin veins of power, unmistakable evil; there are narrow veins of some kind of necromantic power, leading away from the circle toward the orbs of spirits growing out of the ground

Ken (GM): the ritual was certainly completed; but the demon is dead now 😛

Gray binds his side with a bit of rag; more to keep from bleeding on the ground as he goes then to avoid the blood loss that is little danger to him in any case. The savage Beastman checks again that the spirits are dispersed from the ruined circle. “Go to the Light, lost ones.” Before he turns. “Well fought.. I do wonder that we haven’t seen the Roc.”



Suðri Skornbrekker: “So many corpses, here and below.” He turns to Bomrek: “I don’t think we have time to clean this all up ourselves. Perhaps we should inform the mountainhomes to send in volunteers to clean up and restore this site.”

Bomrek nods slowly, and checks over his prized double-barreled musket with care. “They must be warned of the… guards” Bomrek glances over his shoulder.

Suðri Skornbrekker: “I can tell it that more Dwarves are coming, and not to harm them.” Suðri Skornbrekker goes to do just that, offscreen



Bomrek: Speaking of, where are we, map-wise? How long would it take a band of Dwarves to travel here?

Ken (GM): Mapwise; youre in the massive swamp East of the Dwarven homelands; and in the the Eastern side of that. Dwarves could be here in a few days on the roads, at a march; a week if they take their time

Joush M.: Or even faster with the Event Horizon level teleportaton our wizard friends tried

Bomrek: What’s in this area of the swamp otherwise? Nothing of meaningful note? Am I right I assuming this is an extremely under-traveled path?



Ken (GM): point of order; before dwarves are sent to reclaim their empire here. How were you guys gonna go about’settling the cultist menace’ problem, for the refugees and their leaders?

Bomrek: We drop another nuke on the refugee area

P.P. A.: With both of their leaders gone, they might disband on their own; but I assume we expected to kill some more of them still, since we know a few are out and about on their Rocs, and we want those Rocs

Bomrek: concentrated bombing target baby

Ken (GM): ah, well, what I was pointing out was :Where is your proof they are dealt with?

physical evidence and such

P.P. A.: oh right, they all disintegrated

Wait, didn’t the Lich leave behind his bag of stuff?

Syviis: Yep. I have some of it, but I didn’t have time to properly root through…mainly because…rituals and battles.

Ken (GM): yep, but the cultists were elven furies

P.P. A.: and the one fury we did kill was eaten by the giant croc

Aren’t many of these dead elves furies?

Bomrek: The elf needs to cast Embalming on these stiffs so they aren’t bones and rot by the time we bring’m back for identification~

Syviis: I’m sure El Backwater Shanty Town has accurate dental records of all half-elf furies in the region. Good idea! 😛

Bomrek: Maybe they all ahve uniquely-engraved wedding bands?

Ken (GM): hah; well, heads would go a long way for bounties/proof. Thats the typical dwarven token of proof

Bomrek: Woo

P.P. A.: Yeah, I was thinking of cutting off the already-dead Furies’ heads (in addition to any that we may still kill)

Joush M.: Big bag ‘o heads? That’s gristily. In any case.. Gray wants to check around. See if there’s a path they missed.

Bomrek: Agreed, we should probably ensure we’ve fully explored this place.

Ken (GM): Grim and Weird, even

Roderick has determination

Roderick wishes also to root out the loot…er…dangers

Gray walks back in the direction of the tomb, looking around there to see if they missed anything while Suðri talks to the crypt spider about potential visitors.

(To Gray): ; there was a door on the very bowels of the place; a low passage that stepped down into the earth a bit, with a rusty and unclean door

(From Gray): Gray scowls thoughtfully and considers it, then opens the door and looks down into the passage.

(To Gray): the passage is dark but a dim glow suffuses the room. A massive growth of that odd chitin is piled here, and a cold firepit beside it. On the far wall, another door.



Suðri Skornbrekker: “Syviis, we will leave these Elven souls to you.”

Syviis nods and slides away her weapons of war, pulling out the staff of her elders to see if she can finally coax the souls to rest.

She is also not above smashing open the soul-sack…she just wants to be respectful if possible while doing it

Ken (GM): Syv; make a check for me! IQ+ staff bonus

Syviis: rolling 3d6(1+4+6)= 11

11 on 12, plus whatever the staff gives her

Ken (GM): Syviis brings out her staff, and an obvious aura of power crackles along her skin and the Spirit Orb

(To Syviis): These spirits are powerful, but there are so many. You could release them, try to absorb them, destroy them even… but there is a lot of untapped potential here still, even after the demon summoning

Bomrek peers on, rooted to his spot, staring at that soul orb with some minor distrust.

Syviis ponders as the magic and auras give her a glimpse into the true potential of the souls here. Then, she smiles and lets out a sigh. “We set you free…to follow your own paths…you are neither tools nor power, for any magic.” Syviis closes her eyes and does her best to translate her will into the staff. Freedom and peace…they will be used no longer.

Bomrek looks at the scene, and turns to Suðri , speaking in Dwarven. “[Imagine, spending the afterlife cramped up in a fishbowl.]” he shakes his head very slightly for a moment, and says, almost world-weary from what he’s seen “[When I get back to the mountainholmes, I’m commissioning a tomb the size of a house for myself].”

Suðri Skornbrekker nods in agreement.

Ken (GM) the orb of little motes of green light splits like a blossoming flower. Liquid oozes down the heap, and fluttering up and out of the orb are the spirits. They quickly shimmer and flit away into the thorns or up into the sky

Syviis opens an eye and smiles at the Dwarves. “I hope when some lucky arrow finds me, I find the same freedom. Hopefully not for a while yet, not while we have work to do.”

Syviis bows her head and puts the staff away when the orb is vacated.

Gray considers a moment advancing before he goes to catch up with the others near that strange glowing sphere. “I’ve found another passage. It is likely there will be danger there. Would anyone care join me?” Then after a moment, he nods at the orb. “Good work, Syviis”

Syviis: “I’ll need to pause a moment to release each orb, but I think we can safely say it will be worth robbing the darkness of further power-sources.”

(To Gray): Tracking(secret pass) There is another branch of passage here, on the South wall, might lead down to the same area

Gray seems to consider. “That could connect to the same area as that door” He points to the South.



Syviis re-arms and readies herself to cover Gray and the others if needed

Ken (GM) you gather, and approach the tunnel down into darkness



Ken (GM) the ceiling drops along with the floor into a steep chute, but the floor evens out quickly. It is wet with slime and refuse. On the far wall is another glowing green orb…and a dozen bodies, heaped as if caught in mid-orgy, all of them with a reverent and frenzied look on their faces… One body seems apart; on top, his bulk a huge mass of muscle. He is the only one who still stirs…he seems to be feebly trying to pry off the red veins of root digging into his skin!

Gray studies the grim spectacle, the hardened warrior finding the vision unsettling, (even with ALL they’ve seen) but shaking it off quickly and walking slowly forward as if The Darkness might reanimate them. His attention on the man attempting to escape, looking down as he walks closer.

Bomrek raises his musket and takes aim at the figure.

Roderick stalks forward, sword up, fire on his hand

Suðri Skornbrekker props up his musket and takes aim also. “Speak! Who are you? What were you doing here?”

Ken (GM) He makes some noises; feeble again and gross. He gurgles as if choking on something, gagging, spitting. He tries to thrash, but cant seem to muster that much strength

(To Gray): The room smells of death, fresh sex and some kind of tingly thing like incense…Its pungent

Gray spits to the side at the scents in the room, walking closer and drawing a dagger, kneeling down to cut the man free.

Ken (GM): neat; Roll DX or knife, whichever is better Gray

Syviis: [crit fail, stabs the man in the dickmeats]

Gray: rolling 3d6 vs 12(2+5+6)= 13

Ken (GM) Gray cuts away the large veins of red tuberous growth, but as he does he seems to sever something vital! The vines break away from his body and the man coughs up the most intrusive ones, but the Elf begins to bleed freely from somewhere on his chest! He gasps in pain, choking on his words!

Syviis runs over, doing her best to help.

Syviis: First Aid (Elf) to the rescue?

Ken (GM): please! that would be quite appropriate.

Gray avoids stabbing any dickmeat, but does scowl a touch at the blood. A powerful hand holds more of the blood in, then simply assists the Elf



Bomrek lowers his musket to a more casual hold, and looks on at the scene.

Syviis: rolling 3d6(2+5+6)= 13

Match first aid

Ken (GM): woot

HE NEEDS PRESSURE AND BANDAGES

Syviis: ALL THE PRESSURE. ALL THE BANDAGES

[creates new mummification method involving Rite-Aide supplies]

Gray rolls out a kit of medical supplies, a long bundle of leather rolled up and holding tools and bandages and thread. He assists Syviis, seeing if they can keep the man alive.

Ken (GM) He bleeds freely, and as you pack the wound it doesn’t seem to stem the blood!

Syviis huffing behind her mask “I sense this poor soul’s body has been modified a bit beyond our skill here….”

Roderick rod shuffles up, sensing that there is something wrong, and tries a touch of magic to help

Gray hunts for the source of the bleeding. “May have to find the damaged vein.. ah, thank you! Roderick”

Roderick: 1FP/2HP heal, vs 13

rolling 3d6(2+6+1)= 9

bam

Suðri Skornbrekker , while they patch up the elf, looks at the rest of the scene, trying to ignore his disgust. What might that red thing in the middle be?

Bomrek: “[There is such blight here]” Bomrek comments to Suðri . “[The group that comes to reclaim this place must bring burning oils, to burn the filth away.]“

Suðri Skornbrekker: “[Yea, plenty. I feel guilty pushing this job upon them, they’re not to be envied.]”



Roderick flashes with some white light, which transfers from his hand to the Elf; the healing takes, and the blood flow stops…

and IT begins to slither free of the bandages!

IT wriggles under his flesh, chitinous tentacles pressing out from the wound on his chest!

Ken (GM) The Elf cries out in pain!

IT SQUEALS IN RAPTURE



Bomrek: “[They’ll be well paid, well-honored for the task. I imagine there will be many historians more than happy to get.. ]” Bomrek trails off, and brings up his musket to his shoulder again.

Suðri Skornbrekker: “[To uncover and restore such a hallowed place is no doubt an honor, but a messy one too.]”

Syviis mutters something in elvish, pulling her knife out. “Elven: [Oh for the love of the Elder!]“

Suðri Skornbrekker is alerted by the squealing and re-aligns his aim at the Elf’s chest, in case they don’t make it!

Gray growls savagely and makes himself wait for Syviis to work on the hideous abomination under the man’s skin rather then his first impulse; to tear it free.

P.P. A.: we’re a pretty good medical team

IT WRITHES

P.P. A.: We can do first aid, attempt surgery, try to use magic, and summarily execute the patient if he turns violent

Syviis closes her eyes and touches the man’s chest, filling her soul with righteous indignation “Come then…if you wish to see the light so badly that you infest its lands…come and test yourself now!”

IT is illuminated from within the Elf man’s chest, his innards a light show silhouetting a crablike thing with tentacles wrapped about his heart. There is a flash from Syviis and his entire body crackles with white lightning!



Ken (GM) something black and smoke-like burns out of the elf’s skin, dissolving into the air before you

Ken (GM) the elf collapses

Gray watches, disturbed. “What horrors infest bodies here?!”

Syviis: “All this death and hate and magical deception… nothing but ash and smoke.” She sighs and says a prayer for the poor bastard “Forgive me if I keep saying it, but I must to keep heart…. We will make this Darkness pay.“

Ken (GM) the dozen other bodies of elven furies lie here, clutched by the red roots, leading to the green orb of souls…

Syviis: “So their orgies charge the orbs…” She shakes her head “I prefer dinner and stargazing myself… much less invasive red vines through one’s being.” hand wiggle



Suðri Skornbrekker: “Did he not make it?”

Gray: “He’s been given what mercy we can offer” Gray wipes blood from his blade and puts it away, then rises to his feet and looks around the room, suspicious now of everything.

(To Gray): The room is dank, more like a den or hovel than a cave. The old door to the next chamber is on the west wall. Here is another of those foul carapaces full of something…but not much else. The pungent smell of drugs is clearer here. They were consuming some sort of paste of herbs and…something else, from little wooden bowls

Suðri Skornbrekker: “I see… Well, at least he did not die with that thing writhing in his corpse.”

Bomrek: “…Cremation is a close-enough second to entombment, I suppose.” Bomrek, again, lowers his musket to a more casual hold.



Syviis pulls out the staff and sees if this fresher orb will react the same way…or if it is indeed a different animal

(To Syviis): This one reacts much the same; a potential wellspring of magic carved out of living souls. His is not among them

Syviis does her best to perform the same cleansing, freeing ritual.



Gray: “Whatever drugs could be potent enough to make this ritual worth performing?” He examines a small wooden bowl with a scowl before tossing it aside. “Thank you, Syviis.”

Syviis: “I worry that whatever is behind these cultists don’t know the true danger they put their souls in. I can’t help but imagine the writhing beast takes its share from each.”

Ken (GM) the orb opens, and souls depart, streaming up into the air. The red roots here quiver a bit in response, retracting from the bodies… wet wounds leak clear pinkish fluid from the furies forms…



Roderick: “I am tempted to forcibly cleanse this place of evil…with fire. Take heads so we might placate Ulm and his tribesmen. The Refugees will need proof we ruined their enemies.”

“Should we take this…filthy remainder?” he seems quite disgusted with the place

Gray: “Let’s not carry them any longer then we have to. We should finish examining this place before we decide what will serve as proof of our work here”

Bomrek raises an eyebrow and looks sternly toward Roderick. “I hope you mean that metaphorically. This is hollowed ground, regardless of it’s current state. The only fire cleansing to be done will be carried on by trained Dwarves.”

Suðri Skornbrekker: “…and with all the overgrowth, a fire lit carelessly could weaken the structure and cause irreparable damage. While I empathize with your sentiment, we should leave this to professionals.”

Syviis: [FPS BOMREK: Professional Dwarf]

Roderick raises an eyebrow

Roderick: “You feel quite deeply about this. Fine, have it your way. But if we are set upon by wriggling horrors “and he shrugs, hands up, lined with fire



Gray nods to the others and goes to check back to the Northeast after another long look at the chitinous shell. “Like some massive insect waits here.”

Syviis: “Something tells me fire is not what it will take to clean this hallowed place.”

Ken (GM) to the other hall, the passage crawls up over old stone gravel, the walls themselves having tumbled together to make a rolling heap of floor. The viney walls are thick with thorns… and a telltale green glow from ahead

A pool of clear bubbling…something, sits here, gurgling away. One of the soul orbs sits up on the far end of the room. A lone fury clutches the orb like a mothers breast, huddled close and wrapped in red vines.



Suðri Skornbrekker sets up his musket to be ready to shoot at whatever emerges—from the pool of stuff, for example “Gray, can you make anything out in that pool from here?”

Bomrek clambers over a pile of rocks and takes position from a good angle.

Roderick begins marching steadfastly up the path “That is NOT water”

Gray shakes his head and walks closer to the pool, alert for danger.

Bomrek: “Dark-Elf moonshine, perhaps?” HE offers from behind in the tunnel.

(To Gray): The room is still, quiet, and relatively scentless. No spirits lurk in the shadows. The pool is utterly odorless. Doesnt even smell like freshwater

Syviis walks up to the orb, but avoids the pool, sensing Gray’s concern

Ken (GM) the pool itself is nestled in a bowl of chitin. Some sort of separate growth sits under the burbling fluid, and seems to compress and expand… like a very slow beating heart, or breathing breast

(To Syviis): The same aura, the same power here. The fury is deeply repeatedly punctured, her body a wasted and dry husk, perforated by long grown roots

Gray: “It’s unnatural” He observes, scowling as he looks into the pool. “No scent. It’s like it is barely here or real”

Ken (GM): [releasing these ones too?]

Suðri Skornbrekker keeps his eye on the pool

Syviis pauses, looking over at the pool

Ken (GM) the pool…burbles.

Syviis: “Strange…why is the pool here? Just a natural feature? Good Dwarves…does this look like something that your fellows might have made to keep in natural form? Or…”

(To Suðri Skornbrekker): This looks like nothing youve ever seen before

(To Bomrek): This looks like nothing youve ever seen before

Gray: “I miss Falkirk at times like this. He could have explained it.. and it’s no natural pool. The bowl seems to have grown here and the liquid smells of… actually nothing” The Beastman is visibly distressed, frustrated

Suðri Skornbrekker: “I really don’t like this pool, something is wrong with it.”

“Or rather… It’s… strange.”

“I can’t quite put my finger on it.”

Bomrek shakes his head “The original builders would never have made something like this, not here.”

Suðri Skornbrekker: “Are there any pebbles we could throw at it?”

Ken (GM): [many]

Syviis smiles and pulls out an arrow “Start with a pebble…at worst, I’ll shoot what comes out.”

Suðri Skornbrekker picks up a pebble and tosses it into the pond, immediately gripping his musket again afterwards.

Ken (GM) the pebble goes PLIP into the fluid, and immediately sinks, sucked under the pulsing thing on the bottom of the pool. It disappears under a chitinous plate on the organ

Roderick: “That’s….weird. Is it alive? Like the demon crab?

Gray draws the Ogre Blade, the massive broadsword held firmly in a gigantic hand, watching a moment then stepping forward. “I think I’ll make sure it’s not”

Syviis: “A solid plan, I think, good Gray. And yes…Demon crab.”

Ken (GM) Your blade does not react with green fire; there is no evil spirit here. No whispers from the ogre mages

sooooo stabbing the pool Gray?

Gray studies the blade, shrugs, then does just that.

Ken (GM): lol

Ken (GM) the big chunk of brass sinks deep, hits something that resists, then Gray punches through that. There is a mild thrashing that stops very quickly, and the pool stops quivering. Something bleeds black ichor up into the clear fluid.

Gray seems to have killed it, whatever it was

Gray draws the blade black and flicks his wrist to cast off drops of ichor and not-water, the beast frowning grimly still. “Like I said. I miss Falkirk at times like this… would you care to tend to the orb now?” He ask Syviis

Syviis nods and swaps her gear, once again using magic wood instead of fast wood

Ken (GM) the orb releases its magical charges, and the body clinging on the edge wriggles in response as the Bloodroots deflation

Bomrek: “So much destruction and ruin to this old tomb.” Bomrek says, peering down at the hole, annoyance spread across his features.

Suðri Skornbrekker steps closer to the pond, and takes a look. He might also use his bardiche to try and fish out whatever was in it.

Ken (GM) Suthri prods at the pool, and comes up with a kind of flat, fat, shelled thing with a few clutching legs and a big sword hole in it

Suðri Skornbrekker dumps it next to the pool to take a closer look at it, cautiously curious.

Ken (GM) the thing slaps wetly onto the ground, and you see on it’s underbelly a fat tubelike structure, leaking ichor and the clear fluid. Prodding, its shell seems to open and close like an accordion….

Bomrek: “Some sort of.. garbage disposal, maybe?”

Syviis: (“I believe Maidgnomes Inc had a sale on Keep Cleaning packages….might be worth looking into their fees.”)

Suðri Skornbrekker: “This is one curious creature, but it might have been harmless.”

Gray walks past Syviis, looking deeper down the path and still tense, alert.



Suðri Skornbrekker notices that Gray is travelling deeper inside. “Well then, let’s see what else awaits.”

Syviis follows as well

Bomrek:( chain-mail welcome mat, nice touch.)

Ken (GM) a room, walls and floor and ceiling mostly intact, sits here; albeit in ruin. The floor is a beautiful mosaic of knotted lines, and part of one wall remains upright. A curious fixture on the wall sits here, an iris door sitting in a 8 sided brass construction. Dim glowing golden lines of power flicker, set with red gemstones



Bomrek: (Anyone speak Egyptian?)

(To Bomrek): The iris-door thing is a kind of vault. You’ve seen similar back home in the old temples

(From Bomrek): Is it a general sort of vault, or ones made specifically for religious / tomby-stuff / special buildings?



Roderick edges past the dead elf with fire on his hand and a sneer at the filth

Suðri Skornbrekker moves ahead and takes a good look at the room, both the delicate mosaic and what remains of the masonry, and the curious doorway.

(To Suðri Skornbrekker): The iris-door thing is a kind of vault. You’ve seen similar back home in the old temples

Gray studies it thoughtfully. “This seems different from the other things we’ve seen here.”

(To Gray): the usual well-travelled footway does pass through here, but doesnt deviate. Any elf walking in and out didn’t linger…

Gray: “The elves didn’t enter here. Their footprints pass without lingering”



Suðri Skornbrekker approaches the iris-door. “’tis a vault; nothing out of the ordinary, though they are only found in old temples back home.”

(To Bomrek): religious; theyre old designs, they held the sacred trappings of priests, or their instruments of office

Bomrek walks up and runs his fingers along part of the brass face. “A Vault”

(To Bomrek): There was a tingle in your new heart, when you touched the stones

Suðri Skornbrekker inspects it and wonders if he should have kept that key, after all.



Ken (GM) as Bomrek traces a finger on the thing, the stones on the periphery glow bright red

…and there is a faint clicking from behind the stones.

Bomrek takes a half-step back at this. “You know, I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen one of these opened before…” he says, clearly feeling a bit unsure of the situation.

Gray: “It seems it recognizes the chosen”

Bomrek: Has it ceased it’s movement? If so, Bomrek touches his fingers to the surface again.

Suðri Skornbrekker touches too.

Ken (GM) the stones react to the caress of dwarves, and they alight one by one as they are touched.

Ken (GM) when they are all alight, there is a CLUNK and the door retracts… the items inside glitter with gold and ruby colors, shimmering with the slightest touch of light

Gray draws a sword and readies his shield as he watches.

Ken (GM) the vault…does not attack

Syviis: [cautiously optimistic: “Does not attack…YET.”]



(To Suðri Skornbrekker): You sense a foreign thought, but it is a welcome description of the contents of the vault announced to you: Dwarfcraft rifles, sidearms and rods, kept safe, charged and ready to wield

(To Bomrek): You sense a foreign thought, but it is a welcome description of the contents of the vault announced to you: Dwarfcraft rifles, sidearms and rods, charged and ready to wield

Bomrek slips in quickly, without concern, and inspects the contents.

Suðri Skornbrekker whistles, and also lowers his guard and steps inside eagerly.

Ken (GM): >steps in

its a trunk-sized vault 😛

Bomrek: (Where’s the diving board? I want to jump in like Scrooge McDuck- oh wait this might only be broom-closet size)

Joush M.: A dwarf porn vault, where the finest dwarf porn is kept hidden.

P.P. A.: o-oh

Suðri Skornbrekker whistles, and also lowers his guard as he leans over Bomrek’s shoulder to inspect the contents

P.P. A.: ^recton

Ken (GM) The dwarves eagerly draw out half a dozen oddly carved wood and gold rifles, with red ruby stoppers on the end of the tubes. Another 6 small pistol-shaped apparatuses, and a trio of heavy mace-like rods, studded with gleaming gemstones

(To Syviis): Those things are all GLOWING with magic power. You’re certain its nothing you’ve seen before. Like uranium rods pulled out of chernobyl

Suðri Skornbrekker takes one of the rods and takes a closer look at it, careful not to trigger any possible hidden mechanisms.

Gray relaxes and puts the blade away. “Old Dwarven weapons?”

Syviis winces and shields her eyes from the sudden brightness…before realizing it is in a different spectrum. “Powerful boom-sticks indeed…”

Bomrek: “Aye, ‘Beast” Bomrek trails off, inspecting the weapons with restrained glee.



(To Suðri Skornbrekker): The rods are like battering rams. You invoke the power and it hits things. Youre not sure on the specifics. The rifles are designed to burn, the pistols to puncture.

(To Bomrek): The rods are like battering rams. You invoke the power and it hits things. Youre not sure on the specifics. The rifles are designed to burn, the pistols to puncture.

Suðri Skornbrekker tries to act composed but it’s obvious he’s as excited as a child unwrapping his birthday presents.

Ken (GM) the items are all heavy looking slabs of old dark wood, some dark iron-like metal, and gold filigree. The detail is exquisite, geometric, and totally abstract. The gemstones are all cut to an edge sharpness and glow with any captured light. When the dwarves hold one, the stones shimmer from within.

Roderick: “Holy shit”

Bomrek pulls out one of the human pistols he bought long ago, worn now with use, and inspects it idly before throwing it to the side in the pile of broken stonework and loose rubble.

Bomrek ‘ll swap all his shitty human pistols for these without additional thought or care.



Gray: “Good thing to find, and worthy that they should again find themselves in dwarven hands rather then locked away for future need.”

Suðri Skornbrekker: “It seems these are more than what they appear to be at first glance, but they could definitely come in handy.”

(From Syviis): do the Auras match the spooky awesome dwarf-rock-eating armour?

(To Syviis): Yes, in a way. The elementals are bonded with the dwarves now into one aura, but when they pick up a dwarf tool, it extends into the device from them; The glow flushing back and forth. Your power cant tell you what the magical attunement is. All you know is that its straight up “magical force”

Suðri Skornbrekker , in Dwarven to Bomrek: “[It would appear these rifles can emit flames; but we just earlier warned of carelessly staring fires here, so I do not wish to try it out here and now.]”

P.P. A.: Can we take the box with us or does it sit here?



Bomrek replies in Dwarven “A little flame isn’t bad as long as we don’t get any of the artifacts on fire” he says somewhat distractedly, and then more focused after a moment “I agree, though.”



Ken(GM): [there is a kind of holster or hanger thing in the vault; pulling it out, its like a carry case for all the tools here. There is a handle, and…not wheels but a thing on the bottom? like a sled? its also shiny with filigree and stones like the weapons



Suðri Skornbrekker keeps one of these rifles on him, and puts the other two back into the box, along with the mace-things.



Ken (GM): the devices latch into place in clutching mechanisms. When Suðri holds the handle…it floats! The whole harness magically hovers near him, glowing with a dim inner light.



Gray waits for the dwarves to examine things, looking at the vault’s carefully stored items.

Syviis: “Gray, I believe the first Orb we saw is up ahead, I’ll go and free those souls while our Dwarven friends prepare.”

Ken (GM) Syviis releases another orb, and the souls swim up into the ceiling, disappearing

Syviis will carefully trod forward to the last known orb, after that

Ken (GM) The remaining orb remains over the entwined satyr and elven fury; their forms limp and unmoving, covered in red vines. The orb releases, and they slide down, out of the clutches of vines. The spirits released to the void.

Gray watches the magic, tilting his head to the side thoughtfully at memories of the last floating item they’d encountered… he attends with Syviis to the orb, looking into the shadows and darkness. “Did we miss anything here?”

Syviis returns, feeling saddened, but satisfied as she can be with the circumstances.

Suðri Skornbrekker: “We did not find the Rocs’ nest after all, but otherwise…”

Ken (GM): [the rocs seemed to be nesting above the tomb entrance, the butchers preparing them meals below it]

Suðri Skornbrekker: “Ah wait, the tomb entrance. …how do we tame them? Feed them some of the corpses we found, after cutting off their heads as proof? …I’m not so fond of that idea.”

Syviis: “It seems logistically… messy.” 😛

Suðri Skornbrekker nods, making a disgusted expression.



Bomrek: If I mysteriously go afk, assume Bomrek’s stance on the Rocs is “kill’m all and let the Allfather sort’m out.”

Bomrek: and that he dislikes them



Roderick: “Could we tame them? Gain control? Syviis, do you have…a history of riding giant birds? In the elf lands?”

Syviis: “Giant eagles Actually, but I’m afraid that was a specialty of different clans. I only just learned to ride horses in preparation of coming to Human lands.”



Gray looks thoughtful, considering a moment as he rubs a hand across his jaw. “We could try and climb up and check the nest. To tame a falcon, start with an egg, aye?”

Roderick: “I’d think so; all my escapades in flaconry were with ones I could hold on a hand… not the other way around.”

“…though I suppose I’d sit on it’s talon, not it’s hand…”

Gray looks blankly at Roderick. “I think you sit on the back. To ride them.”

Roderick: “Right, well…of course”

Roderick stalks along the halls with purpose, to the nest

Suðri Skornbrekker follows, lost in thought, marvelling at the new weapons and tools

Ken (GM) you return to the butchers room, the stench of death here is heady and bloody

P.P. A.: is there anything about the Furies that’s obviously different from Elves physiologically?

Ken (GM): [the basilisk creatures seem to have returned to their nest]

[the furies seem to be lean, tatooed, blood smeared and a bit unkempt. Dreadlocks and long nails. Yellowed teeth. Kinda savage]

P.P. A.: (ah, but nothing like peculiarly shaped ears or noses that could be easily cut off, eh)

Ken (GM): [ah nothing too weird there. Lots of piercings with bits of wood and unidentified tooth, but typical elf fare there]

Gray looks around for any Roc in the nest.

Ken (GM) the ladder here stretches up, hewn from logs and stepped with branches lashed together. Up top, a tangle of those branches, thorns, and more soft greens sits in the sunlight. The nest appears empty from here, and the dappled light through it shows that

Gray takes off the shield and starts to climb slowly.

Suðri Skornbrekker looks where Gray is going, unsure whether to ready his musket in case something swoops in

(To Gray): The steps are bloodstained, and the climb was intended for someone much narrower than a hulking beast, but the nest is reached easily enough. On top of the ladder, the nest lies empty…littered with bones and carcasses. Perches for at least three different bird sit bare, claw scraped and clean, they are resting on top of the stonework of the tower, atop the thorn forest. There are inch deep furrows in the rocks. The sky is open to you up here. The horizon over the swamp seems empty

Gray calls down to the other. “Nothing waits here. It’s possible they’ve left, or don’t return to the roost until night.” He walks the nest, studying it a moment, exploring a moment. “Three birds nest here, I think. We killed one. Two likely remain.. but not here.” He comes back to the ladder.

Bomrek has his double barrel musket up and ready, and looks around. “These damned things are vile beasts.”

Suðri Skornbrekker strokes his beard. “When we woke up this morning we saw one flying overhead, no? Should we wait here for him to return, so we can capture or kill the rider?”

Gray: “Maybe. It’s possible that the beast will not return.” He observes as he starts down the ladder. “I’d be happy to play the patient hunter here, but we have other work to do”

Roderick: “Could we lie here in wait? Clear a space, set camp in this….wretched hive. Maybe ambush them on return?” Roderick has a funny look cross his face

“How good are you two dwarves at sapping? Could you set a trap? have it trigger a bomb?”

Bomrek raises an eyebrow, grins, and looks at Suðri “… just how much gunpowder do we have?”

Ken (GM): [at least a few pounds]

Suðri Skornbrekker answers accordingly

Bomrek: What kind of foe are we trying to ‘splode here? Bird and the rider? Do we have enough materials for a shrapnel bomb for that? What’s Suthri’s explosive trap making skill?

P.P. A.: none

Syviis: I believe the answer is: Dwarf.

P.P. A.: (unless Suðri can east some gunpowder-seasoned shrapnel and poop out a complete shrapnel bomb)

Bomrek: Welp, Bomrek’ll get to work on a pipe bomb then, I suppose. I’ll ‘spend extra time’ on it. What kind of bonuses could an hour get me?

Ken (GM): depends; whats your materiel?

Bomrek: Gunpowder, a nearby metal or wood container, a trip-wire, a striker from one of my discarded pistols, and any metal shards or hard rock chunks we can find.

Less of /making/ a bomb and more ‘assembling ready bits to make a bomb.’

Ken (GM): right; youve got relevant traps at an 8

Joush M.: just going to rig a flintlock from a pistol to a container of gunpowder wrapped in bullets?

Bomrek: I think so Joush, yeah. I don’t want to set up an actual destructive explosive.

Gray is happy enough to wait. He could use the time to heal



Bomrek: I’ve got set-trap apparently, not actually traps, huh.

Ken (GM): odd

Ken (GM): its trying to base skill of explosives (demolition)

Bomrek: Maybe my skills aren’t up to par for this like I thought, hum.

Ken (GM): ah, which you have at 9

Bomrek: My explosives skill’s at 11 since I updated it earlier

Ken (GM): cool; so building it is skill 9,

disguising it’s trigger and hiding it is against 8 (instead of 7, the ususal Explosives-roll)

aha! old sheet!

right so, roll vs 11 please! Derp on the GM

Bomrek: rolling 3d6 (1+2+6)= 9

w e w

Ken (GM): nice

Bomrek: I didn’t yet blow my hand off! (I’ll just eat a few boxes of paper clips and extrude a replacement if I do.)

Ken (GM): it takes a few minutes, and you have an explosive up in the nest, covered with sharp things, with a striker you can tripwire into

gonna just string up a line over the perches?

Bomrek: Great. I probably set up the line in an area the rider will walk to after parking his bird, with him and the bird at equal-ish ranges, or closer to him, if the distance between the two is too great to ensure lethality.

Ken (GM): cool; thats a roll vs 10 then for the “set trap” part, please

Bomrek: rolling 3d6(1+6+4)= 11

Eesh

Ken (GM): the line is strung, tight and ready, a bit obvious though

but servicable

Bomrek: Wait is that vs 10 after deductions or just flat

Bomrek: Either way, it’ll work. Even if the elf sees it he’ll probably try to pull on it to see where it leads.

Ergo, zero problems after that.

Bomrek steps back from his tripline gingerly, and slaps the dust off his gloved hands. “It’s serviceable, and about as good as we can expect for now. Dumb bastard’ll probably kick the bomb and set it off without ever needing to touch the ‘line.”

Gray nods. “I’m just satisfied that it didn’t go off right now”

Gray: “Does that expend the last of our powder?”

Ken (GM): So, hiding out and resting up?

Bomrek: Yup. Checking out the new pistols, for starters. Are they all the same, or unique from eachother?

That’s a good question. I think it does, right Ken?

Ken (GM): Using a pound of your powder, you get a 4dx2 cr ex plus shrapnel

did you need more than that?

Bomrek: Mmm. Would doubling the powder double the damage and blast? That’d leave us with a pound or so of powder after that.

Sounds reasonable to Bomrek.

Ken (GM): very good. A pound is something like 40 shots between you and Suðri , and the big bomb will CERTAINLY fuck up the Roc

Suðri Skornbrekker: “We still have the treasures the nobles gave us and can buy more powder as needed when we are in town again.”

Bomrek: “Easily” he agrees.

Ken (GM) you tidy a space, stretch out and REST for the first real time today. The dwarves get interested in their new devices and Rod happily sits, staring at nothing awhile. Gray’s wounds stitch. Syviis…elfs



Gray nods and goes to recover the big gun from the ritual chamber steps, setting things up and settling in for a rest. Checking their equipment.





Bomrek: rolling 3d6(6+1+2)= 9 vs SC 12 (Alcoholism)

Bomrek decides not to drink for now.

Syviis will actually go through the Necromancer’s book again, hoping to find clues and ideas. Other than that, a bit of meditation and lambas bread.

(To Syviis): The details remain elusive but you’re getting a firm grasp of the concepts expressed in the formulas. Thaumatology could get points spent in it if you like.

Gray checks on the others then settles in himself. Removing chain mail and arming coat to begin repairs. The dark felt is sewn up and the blood rinsed out. The chain gets scrubbed and oiled, then fresh rings riveted slowly into place while he sits bare chested there.

Ken (GM): [Gray’s wound hangs open, unbleeding, but stitching visibly with fresh pink meat. Hardcore]



Bomrek examines the pistols, are they all the same, or are they unique individually?



Ken (GM) the guns are exquisite; each is fashioned from wood and metal, ages old but not decayed in the least. The filigree traces lines up and down the tube, to and from stones set expertly in the fixtures in geometric patterns. There are minor differences between each, but they all share a basic design. They do not look to have been very much customized. They could very well be unclaimed by any dwarf, as there are no signatures or runes



Bomrek: Do these appear to just take regular powder? Or is there something special about their operation?

Suðri Skornbrekker inspects the musket and also takes out one of the maces to at least try and understand them better, and to marvel at their craftsmanship

Ken (GM): [triggering them?] or is this a more indirect investigation?

Oh! they have no pans for powder. Just a mechanical trigger leading to an internal piston of some kind

P.P. A.: nah, not triggering

P.P. A.: trying to peer inside any gaps, follow levers with the finger, etc.

Ken (GM): You come to a conclusion:

funnily enough, it seems to run on some sort of non-mechanical design; there’s no pan for powder, or tube for a shot. The thing seems to be some kind of crazy ancient tech….but you have a feeling about it

Kinda Sorta like this



Gray helps the regeneration along by pulling the wound closed and running a few stitches though the skin too, ignoring the ache and the skin closing slowly. After an hour or so he snips the thread and pulls it out before it gets grown over and dissolved. He watches as Suðri examines the mythic age weapon. “Magic?”

Suðri Skornbrekker: “Could, be a bit… It may also be that they used methods which we have since forgotten.”

(To Suðri Skornbrekker): Youre sure you could recreate these mechanisms, given the right materials to extrude and powerstones to re-power them

Suðri Skornbrekker: “If you showed a musket like mine to a man a hundred years ago, he might also have thought magic to be involved.”

Suðri Skornbrekker strokes his beard, looking intently at the weapon and occasionally nodding to himself. He turns to Syviis: “Say, the stone you use to recover your power… How are these created again?”

Syviis: “Usually a long ritual, but the device we saw below seems to be able to make them by brute force. I think I’d trust the slow and steady approach though.”

Suðri Skornbrekker: “The raw material is not usually hearts though, is it?”

Syviis smiles. “No, Not at all… Sometimes we’ve used tree sap. Amber works well so long as it’s hard enough. Gems sometimes. Stones.”

Bomrek looks his pistol over more thoroughly. “If it’s magic, it’s Dwarf magic, that can be trusted.”

Suðri Skornbrekker: “Ah, that sounds quite agreeable.”

Syviis: “There are absolutely different types of Magic at work here. You’ll be happy to know your found firearms seem to be of the same kind of uniquely dwarven power as your new armour. Not the same spells or elements…but rather, they were made to work with one another.”

Suðri Skornbrekker: “I do believe the altar down there was added later; the power-stones it makes from hearts… seem too crude and unwieldy to be used in such mechanisms. Not to mention… odious.”

Syviis nods “Have no fear, the power you hold in those weapons is not the same. “

P.P. A.: Elemental magic or wireless nanomachine interface? We might never know!

Syviis: [whynotboth.jpg]

Ken (GM) suddenly, FOOM there is an explosion above, and the treeline alights with flame and smoke!

Ken (GM): can I get 8dX2 from Bomrek please!

Suðri Skornbrekker gets out his normal musket and props it up.

Bomrek gets up quickly, with purpose, and dusts his pants off before pointing his pistol up at the air and walking toward the stairs. Bomrek’ll climb up and take a peek toward where he assumes the carnage probably lies

Ken (GM): after rolling damage, yeah?

P.P. A.: doll ramage

Ken (GM): DAMORGE

MUH MAN

HOW MAN ORPHANED ELVES WE TALKING BOUT

Bomrek: Was afk there, oh boy

Ken (GM): lol

Bomrek: what was the damage code again?

Ken (GM): lol

P.P. A.: 2d8?

Ken (GM): click the dice tool?

8d6 x2

Bomrek: rolling 8d6(2+3+5+5+2+4+5+1)= 27

P.P. A.: oh, [ [ 8d6 ] ] times two

Ken (GM): whoooo

P.P. A.: or that

Ken (GM): 54

fucking

Ken (GM) there isnt even a scream; the canopy above rains down gore over you all. The remains of two massive birds and possibly an elf collapse into the tower room

Syviis: potentially elf-bits

Ken (GM) feathers, thorny branches and other indeterminate chunks rattle down to you from the treetops. Your enemies have been devastated

Roderick: “I don’t know how wizards stay in control with that much destructive force in gunpowder…”

Bomrek: W e w, pulled bird sandwich

Joush M.: That said, remember damage gets divided by 3x the distance in yards from the blast. Only 4 damage at 4 yards.. not that it helps if they are standing right next to it

Roderick begins wiping smears off his armor

Bomrek: There was also shrapnel to contend with

Ken (GM): all taken into consideration Joush; the landing pad was narrow and there was shrapnel. They didn’t even see it coming

[Genuinely failed PER rolls for two giant birds and a hunter; “FWUMP” -Ken]

Gray ducks back as blood and powder and bits of rock rain down, the choking smell of LOTS of black-powder in the air, a cloud that fills the air with the scent of sulfur. “Well set trap, Bomrek. A rare treat for the trapmaker to see the results of his art”

Bomrek looks up at the ladder. Is it still intact? If so, Bomrek’ll holster his pistol for extra stability, and clamber up it to look at the area the explosion happened. Any living beings up here?

Bomrek: (This is the most Irish thing I’ve done in a PnP game in a long while)

Suðri Skornbrekker claps after he wipes some bloody feathers off his helmet

Ken (GM): the whole thing is right fucked, its a mess up there. You’re lucky you set that in the nest and not against the old ruins walls. The tower might have collapsed on you jokers

[high tech has a whole mess of rule son this, and shaped charges.]



Bomrek waves some smoke and acrid stench away from his face, looks around, and comes back down. He turns to the others and says, almost proud “I think that’s one problem solved.”



Ken (GM): so! UNTIL NEXT WEEK The crawling keep is devastated, your enemies slain, chopped, blown the fuck up and altogether, beaten. The spirits have been released into the void, and all things considered, this is a win.

4 points ya Gits!

Bomrek: W e w, just in time for me to answer this call from the cabinet maker guy. Radical.

Ken (GM): have fun with that! 😀

P.P. A.: Next session: beheading elves who fucked their souls into bubbles

+dead

Fiss: Adding some Thaum and a point of ST to Syviis tonight.

Ken (GM): >beheading elves who fucked their souls into bubbles

sounds weird out of context like that

Joush M.: Thanks for the game man, it was wild. I’ll have to think about this

Ken (GM): gasp! ST on an ELF?!

Joush M.: Elf Gainz

Ken (GM): OATS AND MANA AND SQUATZ

Fiss: Well, she IS hauling back on that bow like a motherfuckin Bow Flex

😛

P.P. A.: I’ll wait until I have 40–50 points saved up again before changing my sheet again :^)

P.P. A.: (I might actually buy stuff earlier depending on which skills Suðri has time to practise on in the near future)

Ken (GM): until next time then! I shall now go cook an obscene amount of bacon!