Ken (GM): noot noot

P.P. A.: kill the elves

Ken (GM): AWL DA EWVES

Joush M.: That’s the plan, right?

Ken (GM): Fiss may have to take one for the team

P.P. A.: Fiss frequently kills elves too though. For the purpose of killing all Elves, it makes more sense not to kill Syviis, since she’ll make the process much more efficient

Ken (GM): Ann Raynd, didnt see you there

such selfless determinism

Joush M.: I think of it more as Elf and Super Elf. Syviis is clearly unbound by the petty shackles of the common elf.

P.P. A.: What if, when we banish The Darkness and company from the world, we also “accidentally” had all the mana sucked out into the void?

Ken (GM): ayyy fisso

Fiss: Ayoooo

Doc: (I’m here btw, just a little sick so bear with me)



Ken (GM): WHERE LAST WE LEFT OUR HEROES:

The farmlands West of Greyhold have seen better days. A quick harvest has been trampled by refugees from the Southern Reaches, and Elven Cultists stalk the wilds all around. The Old Mill is a fortress town, the farmhouses are abandoned, burned out, or worse. The highway is bare except for grim totems to dark gods of the night,

The party has befriended their wayward wizard prisoners; Rolf and Simon are under their wing as the party makes for the abandoned keep in the Wasting Marsh. Rolf has told them of the political chaos in the North. Simon was exorcised of evil spirits. and IT looms on the fringes, stalking them even now

[You are currently camped half a day East of the keep, nearby the river that feeds the marsh. Moments ago, Syviis used her Holy Storm to banish the darkness coming out of Simon, the magical Node]

Syviis: Is Simon still “node-ey”? Or do we know?

Ken (GM): And Roderick had just narrowly avoided magical mishap, having healed Simon, but tapping into the magic power within him

Syviis: [ahh, nevermind, answered my question there]

Ken (GM): Yes, Simon will be a Node until the day he dies

Syviis: [nodding intensifies]

(To Fiss): Oddly enough, Syviis couldnt see the wellspring until Roderick tapped into it. It’s obfuscated from your magic detection

P.P. A.: If you heal someone too hard, do they get cancer?

Ken (GM): super cancer! Magic cancer

Syviis: It’s like Deadpool…wearing a Wizard Hat

Gray nods. “If the Node will heal on his own after Roderick and Syviis have aided him then perhaps we should leave he and Rolf here with the supplies and move to the Keep. We have much to do and can only spend so long here on this errand.”



Suðri Skornbrekker: “…we need to make sure that they are under a dense canopy, so they cannot be attacked from a roc.”

Syviis: “Should be simple enough, I can scout ahead and see if there’s a good clutch of trees also…” [Survival maybe?]

Bomrek nods, and runs a finger carefully down his long locks of beard “I wonder if I should load shot into the cannon.. “

Ken (GM): [yus; that would be a good use of survival. Camouflage would work too, if you’ve got it]

Syviis: [both skills at 13] rolling 3d6(3+3+2) = 8

Ken (GM): GASP how unoptimized

Gray nods and stretches before he helps scout around for somewhere to stash their new wizards. Without any skill at Camouflage he’s best off simply aiding Syviis in her work on the hot morning and tending to the horse when they do move.

Ken (GM): Syviis locates a relatively air-defensible end of the woods here; several tall trees of pine on top of a clutch of boulders. Great cover from above and relative safety from giant burbs.

Roderick thinks about Simon the Node, wondering how his abilities would function in the South, where the mana is depleted. He supposes the threat of hungry elementals would be quite high.

Rolf tends to his fallen friend, making sure Simon is comfortable and safe after his scrape with IT. He is eager to help however he can, and assures you he will keep your camp safe as best he can

Suðri Skornbrekker brings his weapons, and two spare muskets, unless Gray is carrying them alredy.

Gray haden’t packed anything from the wagon yet but will carry the muskets in a oilcloth wrapped bundle on his back if Suori prefers, not minding the burden.

Suðri Skornbrekker would appreciate it beause he would otherwise slow down the party due to encumberance

Syviis packs extra arrows, but leaves most of the rest of her gear with the cart.

(From Syviis): what about the super magic elder elf staff…is it portable enough she can wear it on her back? How much does it weigh? not that she intends to use it as a beating stick, but she doesn’t want to leave it behind either

(To Syviis): the staff is pretty light, maybe 5 lbs. You can feel its power thrumming here. Its reacting to the flow of magic. You can see streamers of mana billowing around it like magnetic waves of iron filings

Gray hopes he can trust Rolf. His fidelity and his skill, to keep their equipment safe while they cross the last distance to the keep… but they need to move fast. At last he summons the raven Memory and sends her to scout ahead a little, staying out of sight amid the trees from larger birds that might be prowling about.

Rolf: “Ill do my best, Master gray. I can’t let anyone else down. I’ve got to try had for you all”

Gray: “Keep careful watch and avoid any trouble you can. We should return by early tomorrow” He looks to the others. “Ready to make for the keep?”

Syviis nods in elvish

Suðri Skornbrekker: “Let’s purge this menace!”



Ken (GM): [so, leaving excessive provisions and such with the cart, taking your combat loads, and making your way West to the keep, along the river/wilds for cover on the approach, like you planned last week?]

Syviis: Sounds good to me

Joush M.: Yep, that’s the plan

Bomrek nods his head firmly, breathes in deeply through his nostrils before saying “I sure hope this lot has some sort of treasure. Nothing dulls pain like a mug full of gold coin.”

Three days and sessions of travel

Ken (GM) The sun crawls brightly along the sky, and white clouds race along high above casting stark shadows that speed along the ground as well. Your group clings to the shadows of the trees, darting through the clearings to cover, bee-lining for your target. The ground begins to give way to peat and bog, and the river delta widens into rushes and loose hanging willows at all turns. Soon, you’re hiking from the cover of bald cypress, knee deep in cool dark water, the heap of the bog before you. The Creeping Marsh is alive all around you, hiding away your enemies.



Gray leading the way, you wind through the wetlands avoiding the crocodile nests and quicksand. The skies are empty of your enemies, and you keep a watchful eye upward on the journey in case they should appear. The powder is dry and the bowstrings tight. Memory has flown off and returned to Gray several times, leading you steadily West without issue, reporting no lurking invisible threats…so far.

Syviis during a safe moment to whisper “Is it strange that I prefer this mung-filled bog to the dead and bloody ones down south?”

Suðri Skornbrekker: “I don’t like either, really.” Suðri is slowly wading through the mud, his short legs really impaired by it.

Syviis: “I’ll gladly give you any gold I find for fresh, warm trousers, Master Dwarf.” she smiles

(To Syviis): Here and there you see the passing of magical beings; brightly colored in magical cloaks, they scatter at your coming and hide within the trees and earth and water. Many of them are like those form your homeland, but unbound to elves as you have often seen. Wild things.

(To Gray): Memory has seen several larger spirits here, old things, hunters. But they seem to circle away from the Keep ahead, and are keeping the distance from you as well. You have seen very few of the motes and shadow drinkers here. Occasionally, you glimpse spirits of the land, bright magical things that sink into the trees and earth at your coming, like peacocks feathered in magic itself…

Gray: “There’s danger here, but life. I prefer it as well.” The beast scenting the air often, alert, hunting, watching for danger as they strike west at the best pace they can make. His towering stature helps here, breaking a path for the others and keeping him out of the wet. He stares at nothing, occasionally, seeming lost in watching a spirit before he continues.

Bomrek: “I prefer it too. You’d be surprised looking at me now, but after I got out of the ‘guard I tried my hand at alligator hunting”

Roderick raises an eyebrow at Bomrek’s remark. “…Why?”

Bomrek looks around idly “Not exactly the same environment, but the mud is sure familiar.”

Syviis: nods, somehow not surprised at all, imagining the sturdy Dwarf becoming the terror of many clutches of Alligator

Bomrek: “People like the meat, and the traders would always buy the skins.” Bomrek shrugs, bobbing his large double barrel musket noticeably on his shoulder with the movement.

Gray looks thoughtful at Bomrek, imagining him hunting suarians in a flat bottom boat with a few heavy lines and sun-burnt swamp dwellers.

Suðri Skornbrekker is also imagining the scenario, finding it both unpleasant but also fascinating.

Joush M.: Bomrek’s crew

Bomrek: Imagine those people but more squat. A+

Syviis: [exactly the image….with more beard and shorter]

(To Roderick): Dumb question; your riding Bavieca?

(From Roderick): Yeah, full armor, longsword out, etc

(To Roderick): Gotcha, tank mode

(From Roderick): well maybe not drawn but that’s his “fighting like a knight” sword

Gray finds the swamp strange, it’s not the wild wooded hills of his youth, but he adapts well and finds his path though the cool water, trying to thread a trail though higher ground and deep shade.

Ken (GM) Eventually, You find your quarry; You press past a thicket of thorns and moss, and ahead is a massive mound of vines, thorned roses, crumbling walls, decrepit towers, and a raised mound of earth. The Crumbling Keep. Small tendrils of camp smoke wind their way up out of the briars, betraying the presence of your enemy’s stronghold.

Suðri Skornbrekker leans against a tree and whispers: “Should we lure them out to a spot where we set ourselves up, or should we just ambush them?”

Gray motions the others closer for a view at the place as his sharp amber eyes search it, brightening as he calls on spirit sight to search for stranger threats then physical ones. “Lots of places to climb and infiltrate. If they are smart they’d bunker down rather then let us lure them out. I want to go inside anyway. I want to secure the aviary before they can take flight and flee, or release the Roc to attack us”

(To Gray): Memory returns to report there are no spirits within a mile of this place she can find. Many things seem to keep quite a distance. Your Spirit vision notices an odder sight; a twisting swirl of power drawing down into the center of the place. Like an invisible maelstrom of magic, but it stirs no branch and trembles no tree. Very magicy. Gives you tingles

Suðri Skornbrekker nods. “It would be nice if we could maneuver ourselves into a position where we can lock down certain areas and limit their movement, but we don’t know what awaits us there. There might be traps—thorny vines springing to live, or some-such.”

(To Syviis): Your Magic vision notices an odd sight; a twisting kind of swirl of magical power drawing down into the center of the place. Like a swirling invisible maelstrom of magic, but it stirs no branch and trembles no tree. There is a Summoning happening, and Mana being collected for some sort of event. Like creating a body for a great spirit. Or summoning a forest god…

Gray: “They’ve scared away the local spirits. There’s darkness here fit to keep many at bay.. and perhaps a whirlpool of magic drawing something in.” He shakes his head hard, then looks around. “Somewhere we could set up a gun line to cover people climbing the wall to get inside. If we can seize a tower and shoot down into them we would have the advantage.”

Syviis: “Magic is being pulled into the center…I fear it may be a ritual spell coming to fruition. Not sure if it’s a new spell or something they’ve been maintaining, but we should be wary as always.”

Suðri Skornbrekker: “Do we have any explosives we could just lob into their ritual-place? A powderkeg or something?”

Gray: “I think I have a few pounds of powder. Bomrek’s skill could turn it into a suitable sapper’s bomb… or of course, if Roderick can get into place he can turn their ritual circle into an inferno… Unless the ritual would eat that power too.”

Syviis: “I could try shooting it but at this range and with unknown power…well…I don’t know.”

Suðri Skornbrekker: “Setting up the cannon would be nice, but we would have to get up the walls first. It might also be wiser to reserve it for whatever is going to emerge if they finish their ritual. …maybe we should just go in and quickly kill whomever we can.” He inspects his weapons one last time. “They might know of our coming, and so have been doing their ritual for a while.” He looks frustrated, but turns towards the keep with determination. “Sir Roderick, what say you?”

Ken (GM): [just to clarify for you all: it looks like the place has a old disused road leading to the mound, and a semi-clear path leading round the outside. Its a giant heap of green, really, more than an intact keep with walls]

Syviis nods at the idea that they are probably expected by now “Even if their vile totems and other magics haven’t alerted them to our journey, surely the dark forces we unleashed from Simon have informed them we are close…or simply mundane spies from the city.”



(From Doc): Can/should I roll Strategy or Tactics?

(To Doc): Certainly allowed

Gray seems to like that plan. “Cover us while we get close and see if we can spot anything. No reason to overthink it.” He says thoughtfully, then nods to Syviis. “With me? And anyone else that wants to try sneaking up as close as we can.”

Syviis nods and pulls up her little mask doodad, going full Elf-stealth Mode

(she wears VERY bright lipgloss)

Ken (GM): gotta make sure the pretty doesnt bretray the stealthy

Doc, you wanted a tactics roll?

Joush M.: Now I’m imagining Syviis breaking out some fierce-as-fuck kohl for the attack

Around Elves, Watch Yourselves!

Roderick: rolling 3d6 vs 12 (Strategy or Tactics)(1+6+5)= 12

(To Roderick): You know they dont have more than a dozen in camp, thanks to the reports from the Ogre Ulm, and they’re lead by a single matriarch. Likely they aren’t trained soldiers; there’s no picket or watch on guard. This is likely more like a den of animals than organized foes. Walk in with purpose and stay close, you shouldn’t have issue with them

(From Doc): Walk? Is the gate open or anything?

(From Doc): tfw horse and heavy armor

(To Doc): Yeah the layout looks like theres an open road leading round the North side, no gate or wall you can see. Its like a massive green mound theyre in



Ken (GM): [rod-whispering intensifies]

Syviis: [Rod 2…the Roddening]

Roderick: “We could likely charge in without much trouble, but if you’re confident that you can sneak closer, you can scout it out and possibly attack simultaneously from another angle. Either way, I should lead the main body of troops up the middle. We won’t be sneaking up on anyone.”

Doc: (we do have the soldiers with us, right)

Joush M.: We left ’em back getting orginized while we handled this, I think. Idea was that five would travel faster then 30

Doc: oh whoops

Still works I guess, “main body of troops” works as a quirk of language

Ken (GM): lol

Yeah, the men are back in the refugee camp, just you five out here

sorry, thought that was clear 😛

BUT

Doc: Nah it was clear, I just forgot

Ken (GM): fingerguns

So then, marching on up together as a unit?

Syviis: Stealthy-marching

Suðri Skornbrekker will follow where Rod leads

Ken (GM): Gotcha, a quiet, alert, guns out kinda stalky walky

Gray will take the lead. He tries to stay low and quiet, trusting Roderick and the dwarves to cover him if they get into trouble.

Ken (GM) You approach the Crumbling Keep; the swamp gives way to a risen mound of earth, the great tangle of growth twisted around ancient pillars, crumbled walls, and plinths of black stone. Whatever stood here years ago is nearly swallowed by the water and trees, but it is stubbornly refusing to die.

You find the old road quickly and it leads up out of the water, the soil green with grass but a clear path through the trees leading up and around the place. You follow that path, stalking round the side of the heap, it rising up above you like an impenetrable shrub of thorns vines and leaves. As you round the bend, more of the stone juts out, and as the path ramps around to the North side, you see movement ahead! And hear noises!….Sexy noises?

Bomrek: (I’m imagining the Beegees.)

Ken (GM) you hear the sounds of revelry? Two people, entwined in an embrace up ahead? Shrieks and giggles of passion? And…more gutteral noises



[map magic, y’all are in the bottom right, on the pathway leading round the place to your left]

Ken (GM) Up ahead you see them clearly; a horned goat-like man covered in fur, and an elven woman, one of the Furies! They’re wrestling sexily!



They havent spotted you yet

Suðri Skornbrekker lowers his visor over his disgusted face. “Better wipe them out before they can produce more of their ilk,” he whispers.

Gray frowns a touch, the brute shaking his head as if to clear it and reluctant to shoot people that aren’t armed… and these two… aren’t really armed. “They are liable to raise an alarm if we strike at them.”

Bomrek feels fine about killing these two, they’re not dwarves, and the sure as hell not allies.

Suðri Skornbrekker: “If we can sneak past them undetected, yea… Shooting them from here would make noise, but if we could take them out more quietly, that would be optimal.”

Roderick: “I doubt the others would notice a few cries of… pain. Arrows should be quiet enough,” Roderick says quietly, looking at Syviis.

Bomrek: “We could mount bayonets, charge them, and cut them down. A cry doesn’t fly as far as a gunshot.”

Doc: Either way someone’s about to get penetrated

P.P. A.: lewd

Gray: “If we could trust them to see reason we could close in and demand a surrender. They are too distracted to notice our approach.” He prefers the idea, but reluctantly understands that it’s unlikely they can avoid killing the cultist

Syviis nods and readies an arrow

Syviis: [Are they armored…or…does the nakedness offer options?]

Ken (GM): they is naked

Syviis: sneaking to bushes then

Ken (GM): STEALTH!

Ken (GM): THE LOT OF YOU

Syviis: rolling 3d6(2+3+5)= 10

Syviis glares at everyone to stay still



Gray starts moving quietly closer.

Gray: rolling 3d6 vs 10 (2+6+3) = 11

P.P. A.: What’s the default? (remind me to put a point into it after this session)

(also into some survival stuff)

Doc: Rod is wearing full plate and riding a horse. Neither of them has stealth training.



Ken (GM): [staying still belies a check, albeit with bonuses]

P.P. A.: yeah, I’d think Suðri would wait and let Syviis do her thing

Suðri Skornbrekker glances at Syviis and nods, hunkering down. He takes aim at the couple just in case, but *does nothing*.

Bomrek: rolling 3d6(2+4+3)= 9

Success at stealth, though Bomrek’s hanging back and aiming at the people.

Syviis: [Okay, assuming no vision penalties, I’m at -5 Distance for both targets, so aimin]

Ken (GM): [clear bright day, no worries there]

Syviis: [one last logistical question to know her numbers: Aiming: does the bonus work for both shots she’ll take this round?]

Ken (GM): The extra aiming bonus goes on your first shot only. A pity there’s no high-rate-of-fire bows in existence 😛



(To Gray): While the party prepares the ambush, you creep up. You notice, from this angle, there is a large gator sunning itself in the water up ahead



Gray mrumers soflty. “Suarian ahead, best to stay out of the water.” Though it’s likely his faint words carry only to Syviis.

Ken (GM): [rolls behind the screen] The revellers don’t notice your approach, or Gray whispering to you



Bomrek: (I could fire the cannon and hit both of them)

Ken (GM): [point of order; that is strapped to Gray, and I forgot to move the icon]

Syviis: [OK. So, first shot is -5 Distance, -3 Vitals…+3 for Archeryfuckery…plus additional aiming bonus for first shot…. Target is 17 for first, 15 for extra attack.

No electric, for stealthiness]

FIRST SHOT. rolling 3d6 (2+5+4)= 11

Ken (GM): nice! damage!

Syviis: rolling 1d6 + 2(6)+2= 8 Imp

Ken (GM): O.o

Syviis remembered her better arrows this time

Ken (GM) the Fury is caught dead center and gouts blood!

Ken (GM): Then the satyr fellow, @15 Fiss!

Syviis: rolling 3d6(2+3+2)= 7

Ken (GM): damorge!

Syviis: rolling 1d6 + 2(3)+2= 5 Imp

Ken (GM) The second arrow flies a half breath behind the first, the revelers each collapse in a heap upon each other, stapled together with arrows. They fall very quiet and very still

Syviis lets out a breath and nods

Bomrek: “Like hunting elk, eh Elf?” Bomrek says, lowering his gun to a more relaxed position and walking forward.

Ken (GM) ahead, a massive gator climbs up from a pool of water, slithering into the light, hissing.

Syviis raises her hand as caution

Ken (GM) the mighty thing yawns, revealing six foot jaws and rows of black and yellow teeth. It snaps it’s mighty gaping maw shut.



Bomrek: (So I’ve been in and out as you know, are we supposed to have known about Godzilla Jr. here, or is Bomrek surprised at this as I am?)

P.P. A.: it just came out of the water

Bomrek: (Right, but is this area known for having these? Or is this as crazy as it seems)

Syviis looks to the Alligator-wrangling dwarf with a raised eyebrow

Bomrek looks surprised, almost disgusted, and raises his shoulders quietly in a shrug.

Ken (GM): Bomrek, the once-gator-hunter, is surprised to see a gator?

Bomrek: Isn’t this thing supposed to be depicted as huge? Or big-for-a-gator.

Ken (GM): ah; yeah this is the biggest one you’ve ever seen

Gray stays low and watches the massive gator, the brute taking that heavy gun out, checking the cannon and moving it to half cock as he watches. “Fifteen feet of Suarian? Maybe more.”

Bomrek: “Can your arrows pierce that, ‘Elf?”

Syviis: “I can try. Everything has eyeballs…”

(what’s the Aiming bonus tap out at again?)

Ken (GM): [acc of weapon +2]

Ken (GM) the gator slithers closer to the dead revelers, and snaps it’s jaws down on a goat leg of satyr, twisting



Roderick readies his long sword in case she fails. Bavieca is quieter than a musket, at least.

Bomrek: “They’re fast, as fast as a man, be careful.” Bomrek says, not loudly, but not as quiet as before.

Gray: “We could try to move past. Few creatures bother with live prey when there’s a free meal” The beast can’t help but think those two having sex in the swamp were going to get eaten anyway.

Bomrek: “If you want to take that bet, you go first, Beastman.” Bomrek says.

Suðri Skornbrekker: “I say we move past, keep our distance, and make sure that at least one of us is always keeping an aim on it.”

Syviis nods, frowning as she tries to find a steady enough hand to aim for the beast’s eye “I like this plan.”

Syviis: [Target is 11 so far from here, I can try to get closer though]

Ken (GM): [oh fiss! SM +2. its as big as a horse]

Syviis: Oh! In that case…that’s 13 She’ll take that shot. 😛

rolling 3d6(5+4+1) = 10

Ken (GM): jeez; damage?

Syviis: rolling 1d6 + 2(5)+2= 7 Imp

TO THE EYE

Ken (GM): eg, da brain

rolling 3d6(5+3+2) = 10 vs HT(major wound/Death)

yeah, it shudders and fucking dies; you put 28 damage into it’s head

Doc: fucking hell

Syviis breathes an almost audible sigh of relief.

Ken (GM) the arrow looses from the green grass, and slides between the gator’s scaly lids. The feathered shaft sinks to the opposite side of it’s skull, and the beast stops moving immediately

Roderick: “Fucking hell”

Gray is shocked, (not knowing that even large alligators are routinely killed with .22 LR weapons.. if you know where to shoot, it’s not so hard to kill one of them.) He watches it twitch and move and sink. “Good work, Syviis”

Bomrek: “Fine shot, Elf.” Bomrek stands straight again and walks forward. “As I said before, these beasts are fast. If they get you, you’re losing wherever it is they bit. Be careful.”

P.P. A.: (How thick is the skull of IRL crocodiles? I know bears can even take bullets to their head and they just glance off the skull)

Syviis: That’s why she aimed for the eyeball.

Bomrek: A lot of that is based off angle.

Doc: Human skulls often deflect bullets, too

Bomrek: Sometimes a bear’s skull can be p. angular. That too.

Doc: It’s almost like they’re designed to resist injury

Bomrek: I recall reading about sports hunters in the turn of the century killing large bears with .22 rifles, though.

Syviis: No doubt. 😀 [Yeah, I’ve also heard of Elephants being taken down with 22LR – not IDEAL, but not impossible.]

Ken (GM): luckily y’all evolved to be tool users, and he only evolved BIG BONZ

Doc: .22 LR is still quite deadly because it’ll poke holes in things that aren’t supposed to have holes in them

Doc: .22 to the lung, might be able to just shrug that off with a band-aid. .22 nicks your aorta, RIP

Ken (GM): SO ANYWAYS…

Ken (GM) the heaping mound to your side is dotted with protruding ruins. A clear path is tread in the ground to an archway, with an old worn statue of a dwarf above it. Only the proportions on the body depict its dwarfishness; all detail is clad in green moss and scraped smooth stone. The arch below it leads into the mounds walls

Suðri Skornbrekker does not applaud because the enemy might still be around, but if Syviis looks his way, he will have lifted his visor and be making an impressed expression, raising his arm in triumph.

Gray considers the statue a moment as he prowls forward, then looks to the arch. The brute stalking, hunting. Gray carries the cannon readied as he goes

(To Gray): You can see into the door, there is a hallway of sorts. Stone and gravel floor, thicket walls, vines dangling everywhere. One man wide, but passable. Trails lead in and out, to your trained eye. Well traveled entrance

Syviis bows her head in appreciation, though she looks more relieved than proud

Roderick rides up at a walking pace

Bomrek elbows Suðri gently, and then motions with his head up to the statue. “A cousin, perhaps?”



Suðri Skornbrekker looks up to it, and takes a good, long look, trying to figure out whatever he can. “If only he knew what kind of things the Elves did underneath his stone eyes.”

(To Gray): it is dimly lit [-2], as daylight filters through the green. And a glow emanates from further in

Gray kneels down and scents the air. “They come and go this way. At least a dozen tracks. Fresh.. there’s light ahead.”

(To Suðri Skornbrekker): Roll Vs 12 (Secret: history/Architecture) for me!

(From Suðri Skornbrekker): 8v12

(To Suðri Skornbrekker): These ruins, dwarven, in the swamp; This was a Clanhold! The lost band of the old empire maybe? They left ages ago, when the Kingdom was but an arm of the mighty empire. They were lost though, never reported back after setting out East to build a new outpost…

Syviis: “I’ll keep an eye for magical tracks, but they are not always so obvious until active.”

Ken (GM): The path into the thicket ahead is low and narrow, too short for a horse and rider. And the thicket itself is sporting hand-length thorns in the briar…Rod may need to hoof it here…manually, I mean

Suðri Skornbrekker stops still and strokes his beard, before he seems to realize something. “Bomrek,” he speaks quietly, but for the rest of the party to hear too, “remember the lost band of the Old Empire? This could be the outpost they were said to have left to build.”

Gray almost says something about only dwarves would even try to fortify a swamp but stops himself.

Syviis smiles at the dwarven pride for their structures. If nothing else, at least she knows the floor will be drier inside

Suðri Skornbrekker: “All the more reason to clean up properly.” He lowers his visor again, and prepares to venture deeper. He’s got the moral home advantage now!

Roderick hesitantly dismounts his horse, unaccustomed to fighting on foot with his heavy armor

Gray slowly steps forward, walking to the arch and advancing carefully inside. It’s cramped for him, but his eyes adjust to the dimness swiftly.

Syviis covers Gray, sticking to the side (both out of necessity to peer past him, and so others have access should a firefight start)

Ken (GM) the narrow hall barely allows gray to pass unmolested; long thorns reach from all sides in the narrow hall like knives and daggers.

The path leads forward into gloom, with yellow aged stone and metal inlay alighting ahead. An archway ahead leads further in. Beyond it, a dim green lime glow…

Bomrek: “I have my doubts, Suðri” He looks around at the stonework, idly running a gloved hand across some of it.

Gray tries to keep the elf’s fireing line open as he advances, that heavy gun at the ready and his lupine and supernatural senses reaching out for dangers.

Bomrek: (That bit about the lost band of the old empire, was that something we talked about before that I’ve since forgotten, or something you made up, PPA?)

Ken (GM): [something confirmed with me]

P.P. A.: (yeah, GM whispers)

Bomrek: What does Bomrek know of this Lost Band?

P.P. A.: (but IC it would have been more of a hunch)

Ken (GM): [It’s 500 or so year old history, so not much beyond the usual old tales of glory of the old empire.]

[Suthri barely noticed it, based on the architecture. ]



Ken (GM) You stalk into the mound. The smells of earth, rot, and blood roll through you. There is something else here too, raising your hackles. Something dark and powerful.

Ahead the hall opens up past the arch. On the far side of the gap, a mound of pink bubbling…flesh. And a ball of lime green fluid like a massive pustule, inside.

Syviis: whispering to Gray “Just once…I’d like it to be a bunch of thieves cackling over looted gold…not this…” waves her hands at horrors of the flesh

Roderick tries to stay behind Gray, knowing that he’d be very slow moving up into melee range otherwise

Suðri Skornbrekker nods, and sighs.

Gray nods grimly, prowling forward and advanceing into that sick place under the old and overgrown keep. “Aye”

Bomrek brings up the rear, and makes sure we’re not ambushed by a croc, or worse.

Ken (GM) the little niche has several paths leading in and out.

In the middle, a mound of tainted flesh pulses, the globe of green light swirling with power.

To the West, a path with a clear paved floor, tessellated tiles of dwarven craft.

To the East, a path full of a funnel of thick strands of spiders webbing,

and a clear path leading to crushed gravel floor

Gray sets down the heavy gun just inside the archway and takes up sword and shield, preparing to assault the room and going for a more protective set of weapons, and one more useful on the move. The lupine Beastman looks into the eerie, sick room before he steps inside.

Ken (GM) as you draw closer, the glowing orb of green becomes easier to see. Inside a clear translucent skin, like an eye, are dozens of little tadpole-like things, swimming in a swirl of light. They glow green.

(To Syviis): The globe is pulsing with life magic. Little swirls of it. Dozens. if not hundreds. Little glowing lives of pure magic

(From Syviis): Life in general? Does it look like it’s being ready to be fed to the spell…or is it the product?

(To Syviis): The spell above is of dark magic and separate; this looks like a riot of glowing nascent life. Like a Petri-dish. Or a nebula. Or a flower. Pure energy, pure life

(To Gray): The globe is full of spirits. Little souls. Elven. But also something more…

Like this, but also, Hella-magic

Bomrek: “Those need to be destroyed, I’m sure.” Bomrek says somewhat off-handedly.

Gray: “Unnatural thing.. It swims with elven souls. My Raven-sight reveals disturbing things here.”

Suðri Skornbrekker whispers: “I feel like this is something we should destroy and leave nothing left of—the question is how, an if we do it now or later. …what, Elven souls?”

(From Syviis): anything resonating with the staff on her back?

(To Syviis): The staff of life and death; it confirms it. That is certainly a wad of pure unfiltered soul stuff

Suðri Skornbrekker looks into the orb, then at Syviis, and then back at the orb. He makes a pondering pose.

Syviis absentmindedly stows her bow, then pulls the staff out of her pack. “I wish I knew how to use this…” She concentrates, closing her eyes, and gasps a little “I don’t believe it is evil, or good…only…pure. Elemental life if you will.”

Bomrek: “I don’t see the resemblence” Bomrek says, hand on his chin under his beard.

Syviis smiles at Bomrek

Ken (GM) the things inside the orb stop moving when Syviis pulls out the staff. They press agains the nearest side, stretching for her and the staff of black wood, green stone, carved skull.

Syviis: “I don’t know if this is being used…cultivated….or maybe it is just something natural here. But I don’t think it is part of the spell the others are working on.

Gray: “I would rather free the spirits inside then risk having this thing do whatever it’s supposed to. A wasp laying eggs in a spider is only life as well”

Suðri Skornbrekker: “I have some questions about your life-cycle now, but if you think this isn’t dangerous… I agree with Gray; maybe they use them as sacrifices or such.”

Bomrek: “We should destroy it. It’s a bowl full of Elves. How is that natural?”

P.P. A.: (Dear Journal, today I learned: tadpoles turn into frogs, but that’s actually not the end of it. If the frog doesn’t get eaten or run over by a car, it further changes into an elf.)



Gray: “It’s not harming us now. Let’s go find the cultists and the Roc.” Gray walks west, looking down the path. He gives the strange thing a wide birth as he does.

Syviis: “Agreed.” follows Gray, but watches the soul-sack as she exchanges weapons.

Ken (GM) to the west, the tiled floor leads to a fork;

North, sunlight filters in to a bright room, a hole in the canopy above.

Further west, a darker tunnel, the light fading

On the floor is a wad of white crusted clay, with holes in and out of it like a massive wasp or hornets nest. Another large one on the floor in the room ahead as well as odd bluish wads of crusty stone or clay, with red veins on their surface.

Gray watches that strange nest warily as he walks down the path to the Y, looking either way, trying to study the tile and seeing what path the cultist take as they come and go.

(To Gray): the trails show they step lightly on the nest on the floor, or not at all, stepping around it.

(From Doc): any clues about how to free the souls or would it just be “try shooting it and see what happens”

(To Doc): Roll Thaumatology?

Roderick: (To GM) rolling 3d6 vs 12(5+2+6)= 13

(To Doc): Its definitely some sort of construct, the fleshy thing, a physical object containing the souls. So you could likely free them immediately by breaking it, but you’re quite used to vessels being unliving things…not flesh and blood lumps.Demon magic and such, you recall, tends to sculpt the flesh…



Suðri Skornbrekker whispers to Bomrek: “After we are done here, we should burn it all down; cleanse this venerable old stonework of all the magic filth that clings to it now.” Suðri aims in the other direction in case anything comes that way

Bomrek: “I was thinking the same. I think the builders would understand.”

Gray: “Avoid that nest, the cultist here tread very carefully around it..I don’t see if they go down into the dark here at all.” He glances down the shorter hallway, then ask Roderick. “What path?”



Roderick looks around. “Better to head towards the light for now.”

(To Suðri Skornbrekker): You think you see something in the webbed hallway. Like a face…but with eight eyes

Suðri Skornbrekker mutters a Dwarven swearword, lout enough for the others to hear, and plunks down his bardiche to aim. “There’s something in that hallway!” he warns the others, aiming towards the giant spiderwebs.

(To Suðri Skornbrekker): The face doesnt budge when you aim on it; you see a ruby-colored gleam on the eyes as it catches the light

Gray holds his advance, waiting for Roderick or another to decide if they take care of whatever lurks in the spider’s web or if it’s better to continue closer to the eerie nest.

Ken (GM): INITATIVE!

Syviis: rolling 1d6 + 7(4)+7= 11

Gray: rolling 1d6 + 7 for Initiative (Basic Speed 6, Combat Reflexes +1 or +2 if Leader)(1)+7= 8

Roderick: rolling 1d6+5.75+1(3)+5.75+1= 9.75

Suðri Skornbrekker: rolling 1d6+5.5+1(2)+5.5+1= 8.5

Bomrek: ayyyy rolling 1d6(1)+6.5= 7.5



Joush M.: “BUUGGGS!”

Ken (GM): Syviis!

Suðri has shouted a word of alarm! An eight-eyed face pokes out of the webbed hallway, it’s body invisible behind the strands of webbing…

Syviis: Step back and see if I can get a shot off, no electric, just arrow

Syviis: rolling 3d6(4+2+6)= 12

I will hit General Meats unless it dodges

Ken (GM): rolling 3d6(4+2+2)= 8 vs dodge(pass)

The thing shifts out of the way of the arrow, and the arrow disappears into the webs.

Second attack?

Syviis mutters, reloading and firing again

Syviis: rolling 3d6(4+1+2)= 7

Ken (GM): lol “reloading”

Syviis: This is a beat by 10 effective skill anyway

Ken (GM): but thats not a crit unless its 6 or lower

Syviis: Actually more…Yeah Just sayin. 😛

Ken (GM): rolling 3d6(3+1+3)= 7 vs dodge(pass)

Syviis: ffff

Ken (GM): IT DORGES AGAIN

Syviis: lol

Syviis is very very worried she has come across Anti-Arrow-Spider

Gray can’t quite see the monster, only Syviis in profile as she draws two arrows, firing one as the other hangs between her fingers then in the same moment drawing the string back, the second arrow flying down the dark hallway, swift and true and deadly… yet she’s frowning.

Ken (GM) : There is a shimmer in the air, and then the thing steps forward into the light on eight pin-sharp legs. A body of shimmery black metal and golden etched runes. It pounces forward to Roderick!



Bomrek: Are these Dwarven runes, or disgusting Elf runes?

(To Bomrek): Dorfy; they read off a bunch of gibberish, but a big one on the faceplate is “Guardian”

Syviis: [if some Drow show up, I’m gonna get mad lol]

Bomrek: We should just talk it out, maybe it can listen to reason.

Syviis: [Quick! Ask if it wants to buy into a time-share!]

(To Gray): In the room you stepped into while the thing pounced; there are two bodies here, clutching the orb in the top right. They are gray, dead at least a day, and they are covered in spidery red blood-vine like tendrils up and down their flesh



Ken (GM): Doc! it pounces at you, with it’s sharp-ass legs coming for you; dodge? maybe parry?

Doc: Any penalties to parry? He was actually looking in that direction, vaguely ready for attack (defensive grip)

Ken (GM): only a -2 for the surprised/’not yet acted in initiative’

Doc: Alright, didn’t remember if there was anything like that

Roderick: rolling 3d6 vs 10(1+1+4) = 6

P.P. A.: noice

Syviis: Niiiice!

Ken (GM): [it’s just the stun/surprise penalty doc] also: NOICE

Ken (GM) Sparks fly from the broadsword as the apparently metal limbs of the spider thing scrape down the length of the blade!



IT: [UNINTELLIGIBLE GRONK NOISE]

(To Suðri Skornbrekker): “INTRUDER” in dwarven

(To Bomrek): “INTRUDER” in dwarven



Ken (GM): Roderick!

Doc: Modifiers to hit the vitals? (Do I even know where a spider’s vitals are?)

Ken (GM): it’s SM +2, and you can guess there’s a vitals area in the middle thorax, usual penalty -3



(From P.P. A.): does Suthri know the name of the Dwarven Emperor who reigned at the time this tribe left?

(To P.P. A.): “Uremetar; the fabled Allfather”





Roderick follows up his parry with a two-handed thrust to the vitals(???)

Ken (GM): Rolls it! Net -1!

Doc: rolling 3d6 vs 13(1+5+6)= 12

Ken (GM): rolling 3d6(4+1+3)= 8



Bomrek: “Roderick, it’s speaking Dwarven!”

P.P. A.: can I act out of turn to do somehting that is not attacking? which would forfeit my turn?

P.P. A.: Oh nvm

Ken (GM) the massive metal spider thing twists in place, the sword skittering millimeters from a hit!

Ken (GM): Suthri!

Doc: Wait, was it speaking dwarven? (Rod speaks dwarf!)

Ken (GM): [oh shi-! he do]

(To Roderick): “INTRUDER” in dwarven

Gray assumes most unintellgable gronk noises are dwarven.

Bomrek: Rod speaks Dwarven? Damn, now Suthri and I will have to speak PigDwarven in order to talk about him to his face.

Suðri Skornbrekker quickly reaches into a pocket (or rather, his beard) to pull out the ancient dwarven coin that he stole from the treasure hoard that the party secured, back when they liberated the fort. He holds it up and presents it to the spider, shouting, in Dwarven: “In the name of Uremetar, stand down!” (except he’d use Emepror Uremetar’s full title; or at least the most common abridged version, if the title was too long)

Bomrek: (I’m imagining somebody holding up a 1 dollar bill to a terminator and telling it to stand down in the name of Kennedy.)

Doc: (also I wanted that to be a committed attack, so tfw no parries now)

Ken (GM) the spider thing’s head snaps-to on the coin, little beams of red light shimmering from it’s eyes all over the coin and Suthri’s face as he speaks. It whirrs and clicks, and the runes on it’s body shimmer in that golden color

IT speaks in that odd voice, GRONK HRRRR CHUT CHUT CHUT

P.P. A.: hopefully it’s not “please enter the password”

(To Roderick): “Standing down, identity assured”

(To Bomrek): “Standing down, identity assured”

(To Suðri Skornbrekker): “Standing down, identity assured”



Ken (GM) UNTIL NEXT WEEK

Suðri Skornbrekker blinks, and breathes a massive sigh of relief.

Bomrek: do Suðri or I know of any technology like this that modern Dwarves employ? Do we know of any legends of tech like this? W E W

Ken (GM): “The dwarves of yore were master smiths, masons, and craftsmen. It is said they could command stone and metal to walk and talk like men, and the very earth was theirs to command”

Bomrek: And then the Elves came

and ruined everything

>Bomrek’s Annotated History of the World

Joush M.: Spiderbot “DIRECTIVE ONE: Kill All Northern Dwarves”

Ken (GM): hah

Bomrek: Just how far South are we of the mountain-homes anyway.

Joush M.: Thanks for the game man, great as always

P.P. A.: Indeed, thanks for the game

(From Doc): Would it be safe to assume now that the fortress is likely bigger and may contain more enemies than the dozen or so Rod had assumed?

(To Doc): Hah, yeah, this might be a wrinkle in that plan?

(To Doc): trust tho; I’m not immediately screwing you guys over.

(From Doc): No, it’s fine. Legitimate curveball. 🙂



Syviis:

P.P. A.: >when you get to use a shitty trinket you picked up during one of the earliest sessions in the campaign, over a year ago

Fiss: Hehe. Yeah, thanks man, fun game.

Ken (GM): danke! Always fun. Take four points, and see me in a week THE CRUMBLING KEEP AWAITS

Adolf S.: Bomrek’s fulla’ gold coins

P.P. A.: Doc wasn’t around back then: when we liberated that fort (whose name I keep forgetting), we found a stash of gold coins; some were ancient and minted in the time of the old Dwarven Empire

Adolf S.: Hold him upside down and shake him

Doc: >tfw the fortress is probably bigger than anticipated

Ken (GM): Glardenfen

P.P. A.: yes, thanks

Adolf S.: What I want to know is how these cultist assholes have convinced spider-bot to not kill them.

P.P. A.: Suðri decided to pocket a single for himself before they would have to turn them over to the military that was due to come by and renovate Glardenfen

not for the value but because hey, it’s a coin from an ancient empire of his people



(To Fiss): FYI, on your turn I was to reveal the magical emanations that it popped up with after decloaking. Remind me For next week 😛

(To Fiss): Its a golem

(From Fiss): dang, Roc’s and Golems…great name for a Elv/Dwarf band. 😛



Joush M.: Hell yeah, makes sense. Much better then Bomrek’s collection of terrible diseases as far as keepsakes go

Ken (GM): yeah

and all those elf ears

on that rope

Doc: Amazing



Ken (GM): Allright fellas, I gotta Jet. Family BBQ. Hit me up on discord, and spend 4 points!

Adolf S.: Honestly I was expecting us to go and kill all the cultists in a huge urban battle

real urban combat style, but na

Joush M.: Got it! I’ll run by ideas to spend those points.. then Into The Dark. After killing people that were getting their bone on.

At least they died doing what they loved

Doc: Instead we get a horrifying ritual dungeon, but with dwarven spider mechs

Fiss: The Mountain Goats get cocky otherwise

P.P. A.: I was expecting a massacre of a cultist orgy

anyway, it was fun!