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[D&D ?E] The Vastness Beyond - End Times

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Posts

  • Endless_SerpentsEndless_Serpents Registered User regular
    DM thoughts:
    • Objects that should exist, do. So if you want to grab Mordwyn’s thrusting sword etc. do so.
    • I’ll give you plenty of posting time here, but I will eventually hit you all with arrows if you stay outside.
    • Climbing up to the castle battlements is still an option rather than going inside, but you’ll be ditching Solomon.
    • You’re gonna be levelling up soon! Have a think about what you want to go for.

  • AustinP0027AustinP0027 Registered User regular
    Do I need to do anything fancy to climb down now?

  • Endless_SerpentsEndless_Serpents Registered User regular
    Do I need to do anything fancy to climb down now?

    Nah.

  • AustinP0027AustinP0027 Registered User regular
    Arthur climbs down, feeling a little more sore that he realized. That thing hit him pretty hard, and he was a little singed by the mages fire from earlier. He moves closer to the burning castle and takes note of where the mages were standing as well as the knights, taking a quick inventory of what littered the ground.

    Someone else can grab that sword, Arthur is curious if the mages happened to drop anything or maybe the other knights who were casting the seal.

    Geth, roll 1d20+5 for Investigation

    Investigation:
    1d20+5 6 [1d20=1]

  • kimekime Queen of Blades Registered User regular
    Should I roll to look for Solomon outside?

    Battle.net ID: kime#1822
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  • Endless_SerpentsEndless_Serpents Registered User regular
    Arthur

    Your search isn’t fruitful. You could well steal the tattered robes and armour from their backs, but they had nothing on them of note you could see.

  • Endless_SerpentsEndless_Serpents Registered User regular
    kime wrote: »
    Should I roll to look for Solomon outside?

    No, because that’s an automatic fail, isn’t it?

  • nightmarennynightmarenny Registered User regular
    After Grush pulled Simon onto solid land Simon collapsed immediately onto his back. He began to cackle almost mindlessly.

    "Hehehe thought I was dead. I really did."

    He took a long moment to feel the ground beneath him. Then he stood up a bit to fast. "It would appear I owe you a great debt, Grush" he said as if speaking to no one.

    "How are the others? Do any knights yet live?"

    Quire.jpg
  • nightmarennynightmarenny Registered User regular
    edited May 2022
    Simon rushed over to the corpses of the Knights and checked for signs of life as best he can. He had hoped perhaps that fighting and slaying the great beast together might knock the knights out of whatever madness overtook them. It was disappointing to see that there was nothing left to save.

    He walked over to the lithe knight he presumed to be their leader and picked up her sword. "You died leading your people against a great evil. In the end you came back to the light. At least, that's the story I will tell."

    nightmarenny on
    Quire.jpg
  • Endless_SerpentsEndless_Serpents Registered User regular
    Simon

    The thrusting sword has the name Mordwyn artfully cut into the steel. The name of the sword and the knight are one and the same, for that was their belief.

    That is all you know of it for now.

  • Endless_SerpentsEndless_Serpents Registered User regular
    The journey continues…

    You have nowhere to go but across or within the burning castle.

    Due to the format I won’t be making a fifty room castle, instead:
    • Routes through the castle are limited.
    • Once you have chosen a route, you are locked in, no turning back.
    • In-character you have no idea what’s ahead, but to make your choices matter I’ll give you a notion.

    If you choose to climb up fallen debris to reach the castle battlements, ignore the map below. You will face several skill checks to succeed. The dice, rather than your good ideas, will decide your fate.

    If you do enter the main gate your choices are as follows:

    j1iddzq5kqgr.png

    A. Hall > Temple > Blackreach Sentinels > Sanctum > Escape
    B. Hall > Orchard > Sanctum > Escape
    C. Hall > Festering Rot Scholars > Treasury > Escape
    D. Hall > Dining Room > Living Quarters > Treasury > Escape

    One of these routes is incredibly difficult yet rewarding. One of these routes is safe and profitable. Use your best judgement.

  • nightmarennynightmarenny Registered User regular
    edited May 2022
    I vote A

    nightmarenny on
    Quire.jpg
  • AustinP0027AustinP0027 Registered User regular
    Can we get a short rest?

    Feels like A and C are likely dangerous (face rooms). Anything through treasury should be good but safer looking path that way looks longer too.

    I'll follow the group but we should check on everyone's health. Arthur is struggling.

  • fadingathedgesfadingathedges Registered User regular
    Alzav swears. "Simon! Simon? SIIIIIIIIIIIMon?!" (Any reply? Wait - is he with us? I'll re read when at PC)

    He needed to get out of this thing, if he was going to be able to help him. Alzav closes his eyes and opens his mind's senses to the statue. Alzav feels thin channels running throughout the stone like . . . arteries? He Shapes Water, attempting to activate the fleeting arcana in the statue to release him from within.

  • fadingathedgesfadingathedges Registered User regular
    (Alzav would search the mages for any Magicky looking stuff, if it was determined that there was not someone hanging from a cliff or something)

  • fadingathedgesfadingathedges Registered User regular
    Would vote C or D!

  • kimekime Queen of Blades Registered User regular
    kime wrote: »
    Should I roll to look for Solomon outside?

    No, because that’s an automatic fail, isn’t it?

    Is it? HMMMM?

    But mostly just didn't know if you thought it'd be interesting how badly I fail. ie rolling a 1 means I barely checked anything before archers started shooting, so came into the castle distracted, or whatever etc etc

    Can we get a short rest?

    Feels like A and C are likely dangerous (face rooms). Anything through treasury should be good but safer looking path that way looks longer too.

    I'll follow the group but we should check on everyone's health. Arthur is struggling.

    I have two heals left. I was saving them for an emergency KO, but could help a bit. All of us are hurt to some degree I think, and we have pretty buffed HP for our level, so it's limited in effectiveness

    I vote D

    Battle.net ID: kime#1822
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  • kimekime Queen of Blades Registered User regular
    Oh, I may have forgotten this at least once. Oops.

    Well, y'all get one last pulse of temp HP before the Twilight fades. The castle is on fire so I guess we don't need light right now?

    Geth roll 1d6+2 temporary HP to anyone who wants it

    temporary HP to anyone who wants it:
    1d6+2 6 [1d6=4]

    Battle.net ID: kime#1822
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  • Endless_SerpentsEndless_Serpents Registered User regular
    edited May 2022
    Can we get a short rest?

    Could you? Here, right now? Outside the burning down castle with archers approaching? No. Worry not, this journey is close to its end.



    Alzav

    You feel a release of pressure. A rush of cool air. The statue’s back opens up. You clamber out, sweating like Hell.

    You take a look around and see something on a dead mage that catches your eye.

    Deep Sorcery Gauntlet
    Forged from deepest metals and engraved with imagery of long dead Oudru, this gauntlet represents lost arts and the sorrow of a nation’s fall. The lingering aura of woe will never take leave.

    zxh7fz8p0wac.jpeg


    Requires attunement.

    While attuned to this gauntlet you have access to the Metamagic Delayed Spell.
    When you cast a spell, you can spend 1 sorcery point to have the spell instead take effect any time before the end of your next turn. The delayed spell’s point of origin will be from where you initially cast it.



    Kirina

    All your searching offers up little more than tattered robes, very fine armour and old weapons. Do you take the attire from the backs of any corpses? Doing so will make you last to arrive in the castle.

    Endless_Serpents on
  • fadingathedgesfadingathedges Registered User regular
    Neat! Will attune next opportunity.

  • AustinP0027AustinP0027 Registered User regular
    edited May 2022
    Can we get a short rest?

    Could you? Here, right now? Outside the burning down castle with archers approaching? No. Worry not, this journey is close to its end.

    Yep that's totally fair, somehow forgot the castle was still burning down (I did remember this zombies though!)

    Right now we have (fixed to add Kim's vote):
    1 vote for A
    1 vote for C or D
    1 vote for D

    Anyone have a strong opinion to sway the party one direction or the other?

    Right now, it's 2 for D, so unless people vote differently that looks to be the course.

    AustinP0027 on
  • ZomroZomro Registered User regular
    Solomon is currently MIA, so no vote from me.

    If this is too meta gamey feel free to disregard it, but Solomon's greatsword was left outside so could picked up.

  • fadingathedgesfadingathedges Registered User regular
    Alzav would grab friends' things if he saw them!

    I'm still unclear on the "unless"! bit, did Simon fall into the pit / is gone?

    Alzav would try to Message Solomon / anyone missing.

  • AustinP0027AustinP0027 Registered User regular
    Alzav would grab friends' things if he saw them!

    I'm still unclear on the "unless"! bit, did Simon fall into the pit / is gone?

    Alzav would try to Message Solomon / anyone missing.

    Gruush saved Simon with the flying tackle. So everyone except Solomon is outside the Castle/walking into it I believe. We don't know where Solomon is/went.

  • kimekime Queen of Blades Registered User regular
    Kirina

    All your searching offers up little more than tattered robes, very fine armour and old weapons. Do you take the attire from the backs of any corpses? Doing so will make you last to arrive in the castle.

    Nah, she's specifically not looting right now. Not while a companion is missing.
    Can we get a short rest?

    Could you? Here, right now? Outside the burning down castle with archers approaching? No. Worry not, this journey is close to its end.

    Yep that's totally fair, somehow forgot the castle was still burning down (I did remember this zombies though!)

    Right now we have:
    1 vote for A
    1 vote for C or D

    Anyone have a strong opinion to sway the party one direction or the other?

    I voted for D, although not strongly :D

    Battle.net ID: kime#1822
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  • fadingathedgesfadingathedges Registered User regular
    Aha! I missed that on multiple rereads! /fpalm

  • mrpakumrpaku Registered User regular
    He took a long moment to feel the ground beneath him. Then he stood up a bit to fast. "It would appear I owe you a great debt, Grush" he said as if speaking to no one.

    "How are the others? Do any knights yet live?"

    Gruush grumbles harmlessly, bashful at the sudden praise. "Think nuffin' ovit," He insists to the Knight. "Was on my way over as it was, so really twas no trouble at all..."

    Evil-Eyed Gruush takes in their surroundings: the skeletons across the canyon, the littered corpses of the Knights and mages, the burning castle. He stares ruefully over the side of the chasm, hopelessly seeing if he can spy his shortbow lying down there somewhere, but can see nothing from way up here.

    As he walks back over to his friends and the entrance to the burning castle, he nearly trips over a giant blade. He stoops to pick it up, examining the greatsword. "Solomon," he mutters thickly, suddenly taking note of the man's abscene.

    "Should get moving soon!" He hollers to the others, as he carefully straps the blade to his pack. Across the way, a gaggle of skeletons, mouths gaping and eye hollows staring at the Rogue, slowly begin to withdraw bows of their own. Gruush sighs with annoyance. "Really, should get moving now! Can't do much for anyone iffen' we're dead..."

    Gruush votes the D route through the Castle!

  • AustinP0027AustinP0027 Registered User regular
    That's two Ds, and a D as an option along with C. So, with 3, not sure any other route will take it.

  • Endless_SerpentsEndless_Serpents Registered User regular
    Fun fact! I discussed the fall with @mrpaku and depending on the roll both might have died, Gruush might have died instead, only that high roll allowed for the best outcome. What a good deranged pal Gruush is.

  • Endless_SerpentsEndless_Serpents Registered User regular
    Alzav

    All you can determine is that Solomon is now out of range, not that he is dead. Still, very concerning.



    Adventurers

    D. Hall > Dining Room > Living Quarters > Treasury > Escape

    Bracing yourself, you plow through the black smoke and take note of the fallen stone collapsed through the once beautiful staircase leading who knows where. Several burning undead in black plate fall from above, stunned and losing vitality by the second.

    Solomon is nowhere to be seen.

    This was once a welcoming hall. It is full of mostly broken works of art; wide paintings, vases, statuettes and miniature devices designed to show off the capabilities of the builders of old.

    Take as many works of art worth over 100 gold coins as you are willing to suffer 5 fire damage. Describe them as you please.

  • kimekime Queen of Blades Registered User regular
    pfft, I've got 6 temporary HP to play with that I'm sure I won't need later.

    Walking through the hall, keeping an eye out for traces of Solomon, Kirina eyes are caught by a small onyx statue of a figure kneeling, hands upraised. It is just visible under a collapsed and still smoldering table. Kirina notes the faint glow from her divine power still keeping her feeling strong and healthy, and reaches to grab the statue. The embers around her arm burn, but she stands up with the statue in hand, only slightly worse-for-wear.

    Glancing around the hall, the doorway to the east looks the most clear of debris. Coughing slightly, she motions for the others to come this way.

    Just going for one, and Kirina is ready to proceed when the others are done looting.

    Battle.net ID: kime#1822
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  • mrpakumrpaku Registered User regular
    Smoke slowly billows out from the sides of the structure, leaving the view within the castle hazy. Evil-Eyed Gruush follows Kirina across the room, fingers tracing lines along the top of the quickly catching table as he walks past. Among an abandoned pile of long rotting food and chipped dishware, his eyes spy something else, glinting in the fire...

    He pushes his hand through the rubble towards the hint of gold and his fingers find the handle of the goblet....Ahhh! Fuck! Hot-hot-hot! Too late, the Rogue discovers the vessel to still contain now boiling liquid, which sizzles against his palm before he rightly realizes what he's done! Instinctually, he throws the goblet to the floor, where it crashes open and spills a hot puddle of mulled wine upon the tile!

    Panting, Gruush pulls the Mask up enough to blow gently upon his palm, grabbing a dirty napkin from the table and folding it over as he does so. Fashioning a quick bandage and wrapping it repeatedly over his burned hand, he fixes the Mask once more upon his face, then searches the tiles at his feet for the golden goblet he had thrown...

    Golden Oaghavanth Goblet
    A large golden cup and cap, likely owned by a Noble or Lord and used during royal toasts

    Depicts Lord Oaghavanth, bestowing blessings on his subjects and being worshipped in turn as a beloved ruler. Barely recognizable now, as half of the Enthroned

  • fadingathedgesfadingathedges Registered User regular
    Alzav reached past a fallen beam to careful lift a small, flat box from a corner shelf - and the shelf collapses! Cinders and smoke scorch Alzav's arm and cheek, and he reels away coughing!

    Are we able to take multiple items or max 1 per character? I'm pretty healthy, so what I describe inside will depend on that.

  • Endless_SerpentsEndless_Serpents Registered User regular
    edited May 2022
    Alzav reached past a fallen beam to careful lift a small, flat box from a corner shelf - and the shelf collapses! Cinders and smoke scorch Alzav's arm and cheek, and he reels away coughing!

    Are we able to take multiple items or max 1 per character? I'm pretty healthy, so what I describe inside will depend on that.

    5 HP per artwork. Take as many as you dare.

    Endless_Serpents on
  • fadingathedgesfadingathedges Registered User regular
    edited May 2022
    The flat box Alzav picked up is actually a folded chess board containing pieces carved in blue and black: lapis knights and spearmen set against onyx terrors. The spindly bone monstrosity they had just defeated is represented, as a bishop. Most of the other pieces are unspeakable.

    Also within the case is a single twenty-sided die cut from a ruby the size of a small robin's egg. Half the faces show swords; the rest: skulls.

    Alzav takes 10, and sits at 19/26 with no remaining Temp HP

    fadingathedges on
  • Endless_SerpentsEndless_Serpents Registered User regular
    Adventurers

    I believe we are ready to move on…

    Smoke follows you in, billowing out at shoulder height. You slam the door behind you and instinctively run to the middle of the next room. Looking around, you see long tables and many chairs. Much is in tatters, but what can be salvaged has been tidied up and pushed back to its proper place. Already the door behind you warps with heat…

    t95kqef268ue.jpeg

    The dining room is dimly lit by candlelight. A roaring fireplace gives the far wall an orange glow. Absurd. Why?

    You hear the quiet tink of metal touching wood. Solomon is setting a table; knife, another knife, plate, bowl, fork, spoon, another spoon, bloody moth-eaten napkin. Then he moves on to the next chair.

    “Yes, yes. I must make ready. The diplomats will be here soon, and the treaty signed. Then we will know peace.”, Solomon murmurs, a vague smile spreading across his face, “What a fine evening this will be. The greatest minds of our age revealing civility to those star-chosen kindred of the north. I must do my very best, the Masters are counting on me.”

  • nightmarennynightmarenny Registered User regular
    Simon will not be grabbing any art today. He has 15 hp which I think is fine but not enough to risk losing more.

    Quire.jpg
  • ZomroZomro Registered User regular
    edited May 2022
    Zomro on
  • mrpakumrpaku Registered User regular
    Zomro wrote: »

    IC:
    1u9n5tkts9e1.png

    OOC:
    dvi39qd65ggy.png

  • kimekime Queen of Blades Registered User regular
    "Star-chosen kindred of the north" = people in the Looking Glass Palace in the past?

    Kirina walks up slowly towards Solomon, trying not to rush despite the heat from behind. Something is clearly wrong here. "Solomon? Are you... OK? It's time to go now."

    Battle.net ID: kime#1822
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