Initiating A New Generation

Over the Fourth of July my brother and I broke out the old D&D Basic rules, circa 1983. My nine year old nephew was instantly hooked, and, after our brief and awkward first gaming session demanded for the rest of the week that we continue the adventure. The problem was that I hadn't played with this rules set in about twenty years, which is to say, it was completely alien to me. I'm not sure I ever really knew those rules very well-- our DM back then pretty much handled everything. So, trying to run a game with that rules set was not exactly easy. After a while I decided that I was only keeping the old RPG books for nostalgia's sake-- as collectibles. Not that I'm a D20 expert (obviously), but it is the rules set I am now most familiar with, and frankly I don't have the time or energy to learn a new one (though Castles and Crusades does sound interesting). So....

Anyway, tonight my brother has class and my nephew is in town for the week. So, I'll be picking him(the nephew) up from day camp and watching him until about 9 tonight. I've already seen Harry Potter, have no interest in seeing Transformers, and Ratatouille has been unequivocally claimed by his mom. What to do then? Well, I visited my local game store and got the tyke a late extra birthday present:



So, that's what I'm doing tonight... playing D&D with a nine year old (shouldn't be much of a different dynamic than usual, actually). I figure this set will be basic enough for him to handle, and still be a good introduction to the game.

Just Because...

errata

Degolar and Kilminsk, check your d+d mail!

Also, we should get a day settled upon for the next (last) session. August would be great. The 4th, 18th, 25th, work best for me.

PS. Depending on how badass you guys are in the next session, there may or may not be one more 'rewards' session, which will basically either be me reading to you or me giving you letters.

saturday

Just in case your brain has melted out your ears and nose, the next game is Saturday. This Saturday. At my house, not Chris's. Say around 7. And if anyone wants to bring cokes or snacks, feel free!

Session 58 Teaser - A tale.

Important names -

Hadrigus - Archbishop of Pelor (Verbobonc)
Juelihm - Master of the Silver Consortium
Langard - Viscount of Verbobonc

Archbishop Hadrigus of Pelor walks calmly down the hall leading to Langard’s study, striding beside Juelihm of the Silver Consortium, who now wears a curiously formed golden medallion around his neck. Written in elvish is the word cor’toloth. Circle of Eight. Hadrigus eyes the medal and gives a small, knowing smile, a barely perceptible turn of the corners of his mouth.

The two men reach Langard’s study and Hadrigus moves to rap on the closed door. “Wait, my friend.” Juelihm’s expression goes vacant for a moment. “Something is strange. There is an unfamiliar aura inside. It’s as if magic cannot penetrate the walls. Curious. No matter,” he says. “Give me a moment to compose myself and we will proceed.” Hadrigus looks at Juelihm quizzically as he mutters under his breath in draconic.

“All right. Lets press on. Maybe this time, we can persuade the Viscount.

Heavy green drapes cover the sturdy stone windows of the study. The room is lined with brightly flaring torches. Langard sits at his desk, eying the two older men proudly. He offers them seats at the burnished conference table with a wave of his hand. A handful of suited knights are placed throughout the room, as usual, their armor and weapons gleaming.

They begin discussing recent developments and messages from their spies and informants. Hours pass.

“It cannot be, Juelihm,” moans Langard. “Your informants must have made a mistake.”
“I wish it were so, milord.”

Hadrigus nods his head gravely. “My contacts have also confirmed the rumors.” He takes out a folded sheet of parchment and reads—

“…Unearthed a stone box with archaic glowing symbols in a mountain cave near the town of Westburn in the Yeomanry.”

“…the cave is believed to have been part of Slerotin’s Passage…”

“…Slerotin’s Passage was the tunnel used by the Archmage Slerotin and his house to escape the Rain of Colorless fire.”

“There’s only one object that could have been contained in a box like that, Langard.” Juelihm states pointedly. The Scepter of Slerotin. Do you remember your history lessons, your Grace? Do you know what that artifact will do in the hands of someone like Hedrack. He’ll be nearly invincible in combat. And it’s no doubt that this next passage must only refer to the Coat of Lumiesse feu Sainte.” No doubt you’d be happy to regain Lumiesse of the Holy Fire’s coat, Hadrigus.”

Hadrigus smiles wanly at Juelihm and clears his throat. “We must get this information to Degolar’s party as soon as possible. They must know about this new threat. I have contacted the neighboring fathers of the Church for advice, and Juelihm has spoken to...” Hadrigus looks shrewdly at Juelihm, who shakes his head almost imperceptibly, but Langard, who has his head in his hands, misses the exchange.

Noticing that Hadrigus has stopped speaking, Langard lifts his head. “Spoken to whom, Master Juelihm?” His voice has an edge to it. “The leaders of all the countries of the Flanaess? Will they ally themselves against the growing threat, perhaps? Would Wilfrick would have sent emissaries out to surrounding nations for aid long ago? Well, I’m not my father.” Langard stands abruptly, motioning to the plated guards around the room. “And I can’t have my ‘trusted advisors’ acting independently of my will. Hadrigus and Juelihm both look at each other, slightly startled. “That is all, advisors. You are dismissed. Guards, take them.” he says coldly.

Hours later, the two men are in the dungeon below Castle Greyfist.

Hadrigus sighs and pulls his robes closer. “Would that he was his father, we may not be in this situation,” he laments.
“You know what we must do, Hadrigus. We didn’t have to come to the dungeon peaceably. We must get word to the party. We must leave these depressing surroundings. We cannot wait and hope that Langard comes to his senses. Pelor and Boccob have it in their power still to help.”

Hadrigus sighs again and looks at Juelihm. “The seals will be broken. Tharizdun will break free.” Hadrigus states.”It is doubtful we can avoid that now, but that’s not necessarily completely bad. The seals don’t stop only Tharizdun from escaping…”

At these words, Juelihm smiles faintly, as if just remembering something. “We must hurry, my old friend. Gather your supplies. We will meet in my tower at sunset. If our preparations succeed, Degolar and the others will receive some small amount of aid which may prove crucial to their success, though they’ll scarcely be expecting it.”

“I suppose, if we fail, we won’t have to worry about Langard anymore.” Hadrigus says dryly.

beginning the Inner Fane

Well, you're in the home stretch now, Pelor willing. I'd love to hear your thoughts about last night's session. Good and bad. Again, I apologize for starting late.

Your luck (for the most part) was surprisingly good with the DoMT. And you did well with the only really serious fight, with Tychon the Doomdreamer. He was the Second. (and Thukos from the mountain temple was the Third). Only one left. Hedrack, the First.

I've got a few XP bonuses to award.
Hadrian +250XP for your perseverance communing with Pelor.
Kilminsk +50XP.
Degolar +50XP for actually using your bardic abilities.

session 57

So, we're looking at June 23 for the next game. Hopefully that's cool for everyone. If its not, we may not be able to play until mid-July.

Endgame!

So, I didn't get a new post posted last night. Lots of reading to do. Plus, the bar had Glenlivet. And Glenlivet. It's not the best scotch selection in the world.

Anyway, I've got all of the encounters worked out for the end of the campaign. And at least one of them will test you heavily. To death. There are some undead, and some other things. Also, if you'll remember a month or two ago, when I passed around that sheet of paper, and asked you all to write down a number between 0 and 6, that wasn't just because I was bored. Won't it be interesting to find out what that number means? :D

Class starts in 9 minutes, so this is the best post you're going to get until a time as yet undetermined.

Attention Greyhawk Fans

Look what's coming out in August.

Links

I hope no one minds, but I've edited the links sidebar. I figured the discussion of Moby Dick was stale enough for that one to go, and everyone knows where to find The Office, and General J.C. Christian, Patriot. In their stead I've added a couple of gaming links that I've stumbled across recently... after all this really is a themed blog now since we've all moved our general posts to other venues. Enjoy.

pre-session 57.

Greetings, everyone. I wanted to put the rubbery tentacles out there to leech some thoughts from your mind. How'd you feel about the game on Saturday? Just general information gathering. What did you like, what did you hate? How can I make the last few games sparkle?

Also, I'm thinking about June 16th for the next game. Does that work? My weekends are pretty booked in June, what with school and work.

And now, a little something that didn't make it into the game on Saturday:

The Blasted Yard. Like a scene from Hell itself, the interior of the crater is a dry, cracked yard of uneven volcanic rock. A hot, dry stench fills the air, burning the inside of your nose and mouth. At the center of this area, stands a black tower glistening with the dull sheen of iron. The walls of the crater rise up steeply about 200 feet into the air. The open sky is viewable overhead, but clouds are quickly forming.

(Spot DC 5). The tower is made of black iron reinforced with adamantine.

1. The Door. At the base of the black tower stands an adamantine door. It is carved in breathtaking detail, depicting the coming of a cloaked figure from a building in the sky. Rays silhouette the figure, and there are thousands of kneeling people on the ground.

session 56

At the back of Hedrack's bedchamber, you find a cunningly concealed hidden door. The door slides silently open, revealing a dark room beyond. This room is mostly bare, save a slender black stone pedestal in the rear-middle of the room and a small niche carved in the wall to your right. On the niche are two containers. One is a wooden box. In the box is an archaic wooden key. The other container is a dark purple velvet bag. In the bag is what looks like a rounded skull made of silver.

The pedestal has nine indentions in a circle. Each indentation has a shallow channel that runs toward a larger indentation in the middle.

Inside the purple velvelt bag, shoved into one of the skull's eye sockets is a worn and folded sheet of tattered parchment. The parchment reads:

To reach the Inner Fane first you must succeed
Purple Mist needs fill the room
The vials do the deed.

Speak Tharizdun, Pure soul and let heart fall
Upon the blessed pillar
The tools of need will be revealed
In a secret cellar.

Already?

Are we at Degolar's tonight?

the second half.

Enjoy.

Sunlight streams into a room overlooking a blue-green bay. The warm sea breeze floats into the room, but Calixtus, a tall middle-aged priest, doesn’t notice. Near the open balcony, a birdcage stands, a brilliantly plumed songbird sings inside. Dressed in rich purple robes and surrounded by tomes and codices, Calixtus leafs through a sheaf of papers. He smiles as he allows himself to be distracted by the bird’s song and the warm sea breeze. A few minutes later a small bell rings. The bird stops singing and Calixtus shakes his head, coming out of his reverie. He hunches back over his desk and continues to leaf through the papers, now quickly and nervously. His study door opens and a older, though powerfully built, man enters, standing in front of the desk on an embellished purple and gold rug.

The man glowers at Calixtus as the reedy priest looks up. “You’ve found another way, I trust?” Hedrack spits impatiently as he looks around the well-appointed room. “Living in these plush surroundings hasn’t softened your brains, I hope”, his red-rimmed eyes seeming to bore twin holes in the reedy priest. “Those irksome adventurers recovered the Crook from my incompetent Third, Thukos. I trust you’ve summoned me away from the Inner Fane and the Champion’s ritual with good reason.”

“Prithee, another moment of patience, Highest. I have recorded it here, just after the Crook of Rao.” The scribe scans the parchment in front of him, his ink-stained index finger tracing the lines recorded on the vellum. He mumbles something under his breath, and you can distinctly make out the words ‘crook’, ‘shield’, ‘evil’, ‘demons’, and ‘banishment’.

The powerful man paces the rug and jerks suddenly when the songbird chirps. An amused smile on his face, he walks over to the songbird’s cage. The scribe’s finger stops tracing the lines of text, and points to a section of the vellum, looking up at Hedrack. “Here, milord. Brought into the treasury were two jewels. One, a priceless red ruby. The other, a colorless diamond of inestimable worth.”

Hedrack opens the birdcage and the bird flits out, landing on his hand. Calixtus watches nervously and then continues speaking. “The diamond was just recovered recently from our excavations in the Crater.” Calixtus points to a highly polished black metal box on his desk, its lid thrown back. Inside the box are the two gems.

A distant expression comes over the features of Hedrack, Highest of Doomdreamers. His eyes focus a moment later. “Ah, yes. The diamond. From that meddlesome silver dragon. He won’t be troubling us again. Good to know he was worth our time.” The bird chirps softly in his palm.

The scribe coughs politely. “Yes, well. These gems sat dark and forgotten for a time in the Cult’s treasury. Finally, last summer, I found record of them in the Great Athenaeum of Rauxes. The diamond is known as Nim’hwesta in the tongue of elves, white wind. The ruby is called Lhach’ril, gleaming flame. The gems are much more powerful than inspection alone revealed. They are gems of elemental power. Each, when used in the appropriate ritual, can be used as a keystone to call forth a Lord of Elemental Evil. Obviously, the ruby would represent fire, and the diamond...”

“…Air, or force, I presume.” Hedrack drawls.
“Yes, milord. Summoning an outsider of this magnitude would create magical energy strong enough to rupture planar seals. If an Elemental Lord was summoned in a place consecrated to our Lord, I believe it would weaken or destroy the seals imprisoning Holy Tharizdun.”

“Did your research happen to uncover the ritual for this, my boy?” An unearthly glint surfaces in Hedrack’s eyes. His hand closes around the songbird in his palm.
The priest flinches.
“Y.. Yes, milord, it is just b.. below, here,” Calixtus stutters as he points farther down in the text. “It’s little more than a glorified gate spell, but it does require a few, ahem, unique, material components, namely the brain of a powerful foe, and the gem, of course.”

“You’ve served Tharizdun well. Your reward will be great when He is finally released.” Hedrack releases his grip and the bird flies back to the cage.

Hedrack takes the parchment and the metal box, withdraws a small bag from his robe pocket, and pushes the items into the bag. The air around him shimmers for a few seconds and his outline seems to blur. A bell sounds, then he disappears.

Calixtus breathes a heavy sigh of relief and steps over to the birdcage, when the bird begins to sing again.

The Furyondian Kingsblade

This isn't the official second half, but I wanted to get this info out there before the other stuff. So, enjoy this for a day or so, then I'll post the rest.

Furyondian Kingsblade. The Furyondian Kingsblade was forged as Old Ferrond was rising from principality to nation. As Furyondy broke from the shackles of the Great Kingdom of Aerdi, new heroes began to emerge. In CY 254, old Viceroy Stinvri died, but not before severing ties with the Malachite Throne of the Great Kingdom. He named Thrommel I as his successor, and after many years of battle, Thrommel was crowned the first king of Furyondy, in CY 260. His scarred and pitted blade was reforged by dwarven weaponmasters and imbued with strong magical powers by Hieronean priests and wizards. Gems were embedded in the hilt and crosspiece, as well as a brilliant red gem set on the pommel.

The kings of Furyondy, all unwavering in their faith in Hieroneous, carried the bright blade to battle for over three centuries, and always the sword was brought back and entrusted to the new ruler at their coronation, after the old kings died. The Furyondian Kingsblade was revered above all other royal treasures, leading Furyondy to victory through the Aerdi War (CY 254-260), the Battle of the Relentless Horde (CY 320-336), and the Small (Short) War (CY 436-438). When Thrommel III took up the sword in his father’s stead, he marched to the Battle of Emridy Meadows (CY 570). At this point, the Furyondian blade vanished from history.

April Teaser, part 1.

Well. Not really a teaser. A bit of background.

Hedrack's blood was boiling. The slave across the room flinched when she dared to look at him and found him glaring back, through heavy-lidded eyes. “I need to think.”

“Satau dead? Thukos? And Chymon? It seems impossible. Especially with all of the funds that slobbering bastard had spent building his accursed clone.” He paced toward the slave and she lowered her gaze as he approached. He raised his hand high, then dropped it suddenly and strode quickly to his desk.

A sending. It’s time to harness Tharizdun’s power. It’s time to call forth His avatar.

Once at his desk, he emitted a barking laugh and opened a hidden drawer. He pulled out a curiously bent piece of copper wire and placed it between his thumb and forefinger, then spoke a few syllables. He then barked a word in a harsh dialect. There was an immediate reply in the same language. Hedrack and the other voice growled and barked in the language for a few moments, then he dropped the copper wire back onto his desk. While he had been speaking, the slave’s eyes grew wide. He sat down in an overstuffed armchair and looked again at the slave, smiling with sickening glee. In a short while, the body would be anointed and brought, and Tharizdun’s Champion would be raised again.

“Bring me that glass, slave.” He pointed at a half-full glass of wine near the bed. The nude blonde slave stepped down from her pedestal and walked gracefully over to the wineglass, her only ornamentation a bright coral necklace. Hedrack motioned quickly with his hand and a small pool of liquid appeared just under the woman’s feet. Her feet slipped from under her just as she lifted the wineglass from the table and she let out a small, surprised squeak. She thudded to the ground, now covered in the grease from Hedrack’s spell, and the glass seemed suspended in air for a moment before shattering on the smooth black basalt floor.

Hedrack laughed as the slave fell, her will dissolving. She was now huddled weeping uncontrollably on the floor. He walked over to her and extended a hand to help her up. He also picked up the jagged stem of the wineglass. “My dear Kelashein, this sort of clumsiness just won’t do. You failed me once as head of the Water Temple, allowing yourself to be captured and taken to the stronghold of that despicable godling, Pelor. I had the temple razed, had you rescued, along with another, who will soon serve infinitely more useful. I thought to give you a second chance here, under my care. More than you deserved. Stand.” He whipped his arm back and then quickly and powerfully sliced it through the air, still holding the jagged wineglass.

Blood spattered over the black basalt floor, which was greedily absorbed into the stone. Hedrack sliced the former water temple mistress over and over. When the winestem finally cracked, he threw it down and kicked what little life still flowed through her body away. After hefting the body into the tub, he stalked out of the room, smiling cruelly.

Stay tuned for part two, which will be coming in the next week or so.

Where's the Session 2 Tease?

Tiger?

Session 54 tease

A couple of room descriptions for you this time.

A long, straight staircase leads down before stopping at a narrow landing. The corridor is drafty and cool. Demonic faces leer out at you from the walls, carved realistically into the stone. The passage is crisscrossed by wispy spiderwebs, and tiny spiders skitter away from your advance.

and..

Inside the tub is the body of a once-beautiful woman, her face and skin horribly mutilated with scars. Freshly clotted blood and purple-yellow bruises cover her body. The woman’s blond hair is matted with blood.

Everyone likes filling out forms!

I was browsing wizards' site today and saw this cool pdf. It'll be included in the new Magic Item Compendium, but it might be useful to us sooner. Go ahead and print it out and fill it in if you want. Pretty self-explanatory. Sorry they didn't have a female version, Leelu.

Something . . . Familiar . . .

from here