teh bunneh Posted January 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2007 Re: [Campaign] The Fearless Monster Hunters One of my players wrote up an "alternate" version of what happened at the falling-down barn. Kinda funny. So I was thinking about this, and its a good thing I am not the bard... I could see it being told like this: "So the next morning the heroes tracked the beasts to their lair, an old neglected barn left unattended by the elves nearby. Catching the creatures unprepared, they began by surprising the poor mother who leapt to protect her young. Barely able to fend off the lizard-creature attacking her family, the cockatrice was suddenly beset upon by stinging vermin, disgorged from the foul magics of her assailants. Fighting bravely, the father decided the best bet would be to try to draw the killers away from his home, giving time for his broodmate and children to escape. Unfortunately, more foul incantations slammed his brother to the ground as he struggled, panicked, away from the hornets. After watching his mate butchered, and the safe haven he had established knocked down with malice and forethought by the demon-spawn the murderers brought with them, he tried as best he could to save the nest, but to no avail. The nest was crushed before his very eyes, and as the blood flowed out of his dying corpse, he was able to see his brother slaughtered, pinned and defenseless. All this for eating pigs the locals couldn't be bothered to feed and protect. How were these simple beasts to know that the feral animals would bring desolation upon their kin. Unfortunately, the lesson could not be passed on, no warning to others who may struggle for meat in the cold of winter... the ones with hands will come for you, and if you are lucky your children will die quick deaths..." heheheh All about perspective. Bill. (Though I should point out that Cockatri are about as smart as snakes, and considerably more dangerous...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teh bunneh Posted January 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2007 Re: [Campaign] The Fearless Monster Hunters Another one of the PCs' rivals: Octavia, priestess of the goddess of love... Octavia the Lovely Background/History: When young Octavia was born, her family could instantly tell she was destined for greatness – a greatness which they (a family of modest means) could not provide for her. So they sold her to the Temple of Istar, to be raised there as a priestess of the Queen of Heaven. As a novice at the temple, Octavia was noted for her beauty and her grace. She was, it was said, like an avatar of the Goddess herself. Unfortunately, all that praise made its way to her head, and by the time she was a teenager, she was remarkably vain about her looks. She grew disobedient to her teachers, and was sent to another temple to complete her training. Her new teacher, a powerful priestess named Cecily Modesta, did not take any of Octavia's backtalk, nor did she feed the child's vanity. Cecily sensed the girl's potential, but knew that it was something that had to be worked towards, not something that could simply be taken for granted. But Octavia chaffed under the strict lessons of her Mistress, and decided that, regardless of what Cecily said, she was ready to assume her role as the Goddess's servant. One night while Cecily was away, she packed her things and ran away from the temple, boarding a ship bound for the west. It didn’t take long after arriving in Ariaea for her to hook up with a group of like-minded young adventurers. Boh's team had need of a Theologist to back them up when things got rough, and she needed a way to generate some capital to live on. She's happy to stay with the Fearless Monster Hunters for now, but she's always got her eye out for her next meal ticket. Personality/Motivation: If you had been told all your life that you were as beautiful and desirable as a Goddess, and had every need and want quickly satisfied, how would you turn out? Yep, that's pretty much how Octavia is. She's vain and selfish, proud and preening, and more than a little full of herself – though one should note that she has good reason to be so. She is stunningly lovely, as beautiful as any woman who ever walked the planet. Even so, she finds other beautiful women to be threatening – she has to be the center of every man's attention, and has been known to resort to dirty tricks to make it so. Octavia's sheltered and pampered life has taught her (wrongly, of course) that nothing bad will ever happen to her, and that if she makes a mess someone will clean it up for her. She has woefully little empathy for other people (a bad sign in a priestess of the Goddess of love!). The real world will eventually teach her otherwise; let us just hope that it will let her down gently. Quote: "Wait! We can't go into battle yet. My hair is out of place!" Powers/Tactics: Octavia plays the support role of the FMH. Though trained to defend herself if necessary, she's not interested in getting engaged in the dirty, sweaty work of combat. She would much rather stay in the back, casting "buffing" spells on her compatriots. Campaign Use: Octavia needs to grow – not as a priestess, but as a human being. She has the makings of a good person about her – she truly believes in the teachings of Istar (who is a good and noble goddess), but she hasn't quite worked out how they apply to the real world. With any luck, as she explores and gains experience she will learn that the world doesn't exist to serve her whims, and she will grow into a better person for it. Appearance: Octavia is stunningly beautiful, with long, silky black hair, skin as pale as the moon, and eyes dark and bewitching. One look at her and it is obvious that she is more than just an ordinary woman – she is somehow touched by the Goddess herself. Octavia dresses only in the finest silks and she loves pretty jewelry. She spends several hours every morning getting ready for the day, and will often stop in the middle of something so she can fix her hair, her clothes, or her makeup. Note: Octavia is technically an escaped slave. She is, by custom and law, owned by her mistress until her training is complete and she is released as a full priestess. However, "slave" has a different meaning for novices of the temple of Istar – she is not a common laborer or servant; she is a goddess-in-training. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teh bunneh Posted January 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2007 Re: [Campaign] The Fearless Monster Hunters If Conan were a female spellcaster? No, I picture Tawny as being more like Starbuck from the new Battlestar Galactica series. With magical spells and an Irish accent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teh bunneh Posted January 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2007 Re: [Campaign] The Fearless Monster Hunters And... one more of the PCs' potential adversaries/rivals. This time it is the faux-Fearless Monster Hunters' big meatshield, Thor Thorssen! Thor Thorssen Background/History: Thor is a young barbarian warrior from Boresheim. When he came of age, he set sail with his compatriots to explore, trade, and raid the decadent and wealthy peoples of the south. Their voyage lasted several months, making it all the way down to the Sylvan Gulf. In that time, young Thor learned much of the ways of civilization, and decided that he liked it. So when his compatriots decided that they had seen enough and wanted to head back home, Thor refused to go with them. He wanted more of what the civilized world had to offer – more booze, tobacco, women, fancy foods, soft clothes, and the other decadent customs that he had grown to enjoy. His ship-mates, knowing full-well that Thor doesn't have the sense that the gods gave an acorn, refused to let him leave, but Thor was insistent – as in, "Leaving behind a trail of broken arms, gouged eyes, and swollen groins" insistent. He jumped ship in the great White City of Areiea, his former crew-mates' curses (and groans of pain) ringing in his ears, and hasn't looked back. Which is a pity. He really should sometimes, because his old crewmates are still after him for what he did to them… Personality/Motivation: Thor isn't very smart, and he knows it. He realizes he's no good at planning ahead, so he just does what his heart tells him at the moment. He is impulsive, reckless, and rash – which means he gets along famously with Boh. But really, Thor just wants to have a good time. He's eager to try all the decadent delights that the lands of the south have to offer. He's not adverse to a good fight, and tends to be the last one standing at the end of it. Quote: "Hey, you stabbed me! Ha! that is very funny! Now it is my turn to stab you!" Powers/Tactics: Thor's tactics, like Thor himself, are simple: laugh loudly, shout out a challenge, and charge right in. He doesn't necessarily look for fights (he'd much rather drink, smoke, and have sex with the pretty girls), but he relishes them when they come. Campaign Use: Thor is the FMH's beef-shield. Tough, strong, and good in a fight, he's the one who rushes in first. Appearance: Thor is a handsome young Borish warrior – square-jawed, with steely blue eyes and long, straight black hair and a thick black beard – an exemplar of his folk. He towers over most people, standing well over six feet. Heavily muscled, he has a few scars but hasn't been out in the world long enough to make an entire shirt out of them yet. When expecting trouble, he wears a shirt of chain mail. When out on the town, he's developed a fondness for silk and soft cotton clothing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OddHat Posted January 3, 2007 Report Share Posted January 3, 2007 Re: [Campaign] The Fearless Monster Hunters Great character back stories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordGhee Posted January 3, 2007 Report Share Posted January 3, 2007 Re: [Campaign] The Fearless Monster Hunters HUmm lets see if I can rep you keys and yes a I can cool, cool stuff Lord Ghee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teh bunneh Posted January 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2007 Guess what my players are going to have to deal with this week? A Primer on the Undead As Told by Chrissie Rocks (Taleweaver and Expert in All Manner of Things) There are two major types of undead: the Corporeal and the Incorporeal. The Corporeal, since they have physical bodies, are the easiest to classify (and to deal with… but more on that later). Starting with the lowest types, you have Skeletons and Zombies, sometimes known as the Shambling Dead (or any number of other terms). These are the corpses of unfortunate people who are animated with necromantic magic (banned in every civilized nation in the world). They are more-or-less mindless and have no free will of their own; they follow the commands of the one who created them to the best of their ability – though they have no imagination or incentive, so the commands have to be very literal and fairly simple. The Shambling Dead are, for the most part, very slow and are noted for their jerky and clumsy movements. However, they are extremely strong, immune to pain, fear, magic that affects the mind or the senses, and are almost impossible to kill. You need to chop their bodies into pieces before they stop coming. Hacking or bludgeoning weapons are best – arrows and spears are pretty useless against them. Also, a properly cast counterspell (like Dispel Magic or Drain the Flow) can disrupt the magic that animates them, turning them back into harmless corpses. The problem with using necromantic spells is that sometimes, the Shambling Dead can develop a mind of their own. No one knows why, but Zombies and Skeletons have been known to turn on their creators and kill them. An uncontrolled Shambler is known most commonly as a Ghoul or a Flesh-Eater. These creatures aren't intelligent per se, but they have a predatory cunning and have been known to stalk their victims, lay simple traps, and set ambushes. They also tend to work together, like a wolf-pack, which makes them even more dangerous. Most Ghouls retain the slow, clumsy movements they had when they were simply animated corpses, but some are blindingly fast as well as being strong and hard to hurt. Watch out for them! While regular Zombies and Skeletons don't need any sustenance (since they are animated by magic), Ghouls lust after flesh – fresh or rotten, it doesn't seem to matter – and they greedily devour their kills. Wights, unlike Ghouls or Zombies, were not created by a necromancer but instead apparently just rose from the grave of their own volition. They are sometimes found in old graveyards or battlefields. Some of them simply defend their resting place; others are very aggressive and they'll leave their graves to hunt. Like Ghouls, they tend to have some cunning and are not just mindless monsters. Vampires are the most powerful of the corporeal walking dead. They retain all the intelligence and initiative they had while alive, coupled with an insatiable hunger for the flesh and/or blood of the living. They retain all the strengths of the lesser undead – strength, speed, near invulnerability – and few of their weaknesses. Most of them, it is said, also command great magical powers. They can hypnotize you with a glance, transform into animal shapes, vanish into thin air, fly, or perform any number of other stunts. Some people refer to Vampires as Ghasts, but most scholars agree that a Ghast is something different – sort of like a Vampire (intelligent, fast, strong), but without all the fancy magical powers. How do you hurt a Corporeal Undead? Like I said before, they're really tough. Arrows are worthless, and spears aren't much better. Most of them you can hack to pieces with a sword or axe, but until they're completely shredded they'll just keep attacking – they don’t know fear and they can't feel pain. Holy items are said to work really well against them, though. Holy water dissolves their flesh, and priests can frighten them away with the power of their faith. Folklore has it that the touch of pure silver burns them, and that they can't stand the smell, taste, or touch of salt. I don't know if that's true or not. Enchanted weapons cut through their rotten flesh like a hot knife through butter, but the same can be said for enchanted weapons cutting through just about anything. And if you thought the Shambling Dead were bad, there's the Incorporeal Undead… These things are disembodied spirits, doomed to haunt the earth. They don't really exist in the real world – they have no physical form. But you can see them, and they can see you. Worse, they can touch you, and that's bad. The Incorporeal Undead are known generically as Ghosts – if you don't know what you're dealing with specifically, it's a Ghost. The most benign (if such a word can be used to describe the Undead) types are known as Phantoms. They aren't much more than just a ghostly image, or perhaps a sound. They tend to haunt one specific location, and don't normally interact with the real world. They seem to be stuck in an endless loop of actions – they keep doing the same things, over and over again. They might replay a murder scene, or an accident, or a battle, or even something innocent like opening and closing a door. But if you get too close, you'll risk being drawn into their world and becoming a part of their curse. There are stories of people who help them break their curse so they are free to move on to the next world, but there are also a lot of stories about people who tried to do that and who disappeared forever. Specters are sort of like Phantoms in that they haunt a particular area, but unlike Phantoms they are extremely hostile to all living creatures. If you enter a place haunted by a Specter, they will come after you. Some of them are unable to manifest in the real world, instead trying to harm the intruders by attacking them indirectly (like pushing a bookcase over on you). These "non-manifesting" Specters are sometimes called Apparitions. Others become semi-real and will physically attack. For the most part, Specters can't leave the specific area that they haunt, but there are some stories of Specters that can "attach" themselves (for brief periods) to people who've managed to escape from their deadly grasp. There is some debate among experts whether Apparitions are more dangerous than Specters, but if you ask me, the argument is a stupid one – they're both things you want to stay away from. Wraiths, like Specters, are extremely hostile. They hate the living. In addition, they are not limited to one particular time or place – they can manifest anywhere and at any time. It is said that once you've attracted the attention of a Wraith, you can never escape their curse until you are dead. Shadows may or may not be actual Undead. Some people think they are Thaumaturgists who are lost in the Land of Shadows, somewhere between this world and the next. They may have had an accident while teleporting, or attempting to travel between worlds, or something else entirely. Fear their touch, because it can draw you into their world – essentially turning you into a Shadow, too. How do you stop a Ghost? That's even tougher than stopping one of the Walking Dead. Weapons don’t harm them – not even silver ones. Magical weapons… may or may not hurt them. The stories are contradictory and inconclusive. Priests can drive them away with the power of their faith, and some of them are thought to recoil away from holy symbols (but I wouldn't rely on that). Some spells work against them, but most don't. Don't let one of them touch you – they'll suck the soul right out of your body. And I've heard stories of people who merely caught sight of a Ghost who aged ten years. Best bet when dealing with a Ghost? Run away – and pray it's not a Wraith! Oh, and one more thing! The worst thing about the Undead is that many of them have the ability to drag their victims into their curse – turning them into Undead monsters as well! Everyone pretty much agrees that this is the most terrifying power of the Living Dead. So be careful! (As a side note, for reference: The ghost from Ju-On: The Grudge would be a Specter. Samara, the ghost from The Ring is a Wraith. The ghosts in Pulse were Shadows). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lonewalker Posted January 7, 2007 Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 Re: [Campaign] The Fearless Monster Hunters Since Bill hasn't seen fit to do so, I'm posting the (rather extensive) background info for my character: Sir Justin Whitestar. Followers of Bill's UNITY thread will probably see parallels between Justin and Straight Arrow. What can I say? I like playing Heroes (with a capital 'H'). -------------------------------------------------------------------------- BACKGROUND FOR JUSTIN WHITESTAR Appearance: Justin is a tall and lean-muscled youth in his early twenties. The Elven part of his bloodline shows itself in his lithe but strong figure and graceful movements. He wears his thatched blond hair short and as neat as the thick mass will allow. His eyes are the color of the ocean at dusk and his attractive face is often graced with a smile. His complexion is a few shades darker than fair and marred only by a few small scars and two colored tattoos (a lion's head on his shoulder and a coiled dragon on his lower back). Personality: Justin is a very atypical Paladin of the Trinity. He is very laid-back and easy-going about life and even his own devotions. He tries not to be judgmental toward those of other faiths or cultures and in fact is eager to learn more about them. He is casual and gracious in speech and manner, always polite and friendly, with a quirky sense of humor. Beneath his relaxed exterior, though, Justin a fiercely devoted to the edicts of the Trinity in general and Mitra in particular. He follows the Code of the Paladin as closely as he can without becoming too rigid and hidebound. He believes strongly in compassion for others and is trusting and generous almost to a fault at times. Having failed in his endeavors many times in the past, his ego is nicely tempered with humility and he is not above poking fun at himself. Justin is surprisingly but quietly devout. He had made a conscious choice to avoid sermonizing or insulting another's beliefs and chooses instead to preach by example. He feels that a good example makes the best sermon. He speaks to Mitra (and the other deities within the Trinity) constantly and is never without his holy symbol and a copy of the Book of Light. Justin also considers himself very 'down-to-earth' compared to other Paladins (many of whom come from wealthy or noble families). His time on the streets gave him a common man's view of the world which combines with his highborn training and schooling to make him accepting of folk from all walks of life. He treats all people as equal, from the poorest farming peasant to the highest lord of the land. Quote: “Who says that being a Paladin means being an egocentric, thick-skulled, humorless prude?" Background: From the Excerpts of The Whitestar Legacy by Myles Conrad. "My name is Justin Whitestar and, yes, I'm acutely aware of the legacy associated with that name - I've lived under its shadow for my entire life. "The Whitestars have a tradition of heroism that dates back to King Durom I and his battles against the Demon Morianis. It's said that the Whitestars have always been of a noble and adventurous mien - whether they were warriors or mages or priests. Sometimes their exploits were the stuff of legends - other times they were just quietly devoted and only their closest friends and family knew of their courage and daring. "My own father was no exception to this rule. He was known as Gareth the Bold and in his youth it's said that all the Sylvan Gulf knew of his name. He was founding member of a long-lived adventuring company that called itself 'The Fearless Monster Hunters.' These brave men and women roamed the Gulf, defending the innocent and battling beasts great and terrible. "Eventually, my father was called away from the Hunters to fight in the border conflicts in Shelinsebeau that eventually erupted into the War of Swords. His companion Rowena of Godonsa, a priestess of Wynnessa, accompanied my father into war. After my father was injured near the end of the war, the two of them married and settled down in my father's home city of Drache along the southwest coast of Demoria. "My parents were hailed as heroes of the war and retired to the outskirts of the city to live the quiet life. My father still served as a military advisor to the king's court when called upon and my mother was considered a high-ranking member of the Trinity's holy order. They were a credit to the Whitestar name and legacy ... and they expected their children to follow the same path. "My older siblings Marcus and Vivian honored my father by joining the Demorian military. Marcus was an officer and knight in the army and served in Shelinsebeau during the Uruk skirmishes and up north in Retor aiding the Dwarves against the Giant raiders. Vivian served in the navy and was assigned to the Golden Lion, flagship of the Demorian fleet. She has battled the Western Reef Pirates and Dead Ships that haunt the western sea. "My younger siblings Gwenyth and Roderick may not have accomplished any deeds but that's not for lack of ambition. Gwenyth possessed the gift of the arcane and has petitioned the Towers of Sorcery for apprenticeship as a wizard. Roderick, the youngest of the family, simultaneously dreams of either joining the Demorian rangers or serving the Church of Durom. "That leaves me, the middle child of Gareth and Rowena Whitestar and the black sheep. I was a lazy youth without any interest in the deeds and legends of my ancestors. The more my parents reminded me of the Whitestar legacy, the less I wanted to be a part of it. Of course, I didn't know what I did want but I knew it wasn't to be another Whitestar hero. "When I was old enough, my parents insisted on sending me to the Academy of War in Drache, a prestigious school of battle and warfare that produced many of the knights and officers that served in the Demorian military. (Marcus and Vivian had both attended with honors.) It was a strict scholastic environment and I chafed under the tight regimen. I picked up a bit of skill here and there but overall my performance was abysmal - my instructors were quick to inform my parents of my failings. "When I was about eleven or twelve years old, after a particularly hot and loud argument with my riding instructor, I gathered up a few belongings and ran away from the Academy. Drache is an expansive city and I was able to lose myself in the back streets away from the main population. Here the air was dank and fetid and cold, but at the time I thought it was better than further suffering under the yoke of my family's expectations. "I took to stealing for my food and shelter - though I never really had the heart for it. After several weeks of living this wretched way, I was just about almost ready to give up and return home to my family when I met Master Zangan. Master Zangan was a massive warrior from Masube that was in Demoria on a 'spiritual journey.' He took me in and gave me food and shelter and never asked why I was on the streets or where I had come from originally. "Master Zangan was a practitioner in an exotic fighting style from the Eastern lands called 'Nine Dragons.' For whatever reason, he offered to take me as a student in the art and, mostly because I didn't want to risk losing the home I had just found, I accepted. The training was as grueling and rigid as anything I had studied at the Academy. But, while I had rebelled and resisted the discipline at the school of battle, there was something about Zangan's manner that kept me focused and dedicated. Perhaps it was the aura of strength and authority that he commanded - maybe it was my own gratitude for having a roof over my head again. Whatever the reason, I completed my first rank training within a season and a half. "Then without warning, Master Zangan left. I had been out picking up food at the market - when I returned, he had packed up his meager possessions and disappeared. All he left me were the Nine Scrolls that detailed the art of Nine Dragons (that I might continue my learning) and a note. The note was terse but not cold - Master Zangan explained that he had been called away but that I could manage my own training now that he had helped me from the 'lost state' I had been in. He had done good by me and asked that I return his kindness by sharing it with another in my turn. He wished me well and promised that we would see one another again someday. "A part of me was devastated by Master Zangan's departure but another part realized that he had indeed done me a kindness. I returned to my family and endured my verbal punishment stoically. There was no returning to the Academy - the institution does not look favorably upon deserters and runaways. Instead, my mother called in a number of favors to have me accepted into the service of the Church of the Trinity. "I spent the better part of those initial years of training in a distracted haze of musing and daydreams. I wondered where Master Zangan had gone to and I pondered how I could repay his kindness by giving to others. Over time, this desire to repay Master Zangan morphed into a yearning to leave Drache and do some good out in the world. I realized that I had never been out of city (save for a few trips to Godonsa or the neighboring towns) for my entire life. Now I started to wonder what else could be out there. "My studies in the temple were mediocre at best - at least to start. I rarely did more than I needed to in order to complete my work. But during my fifteenth year, while I was in the Temple of Mitra conducting my usual morning prayers, something about the words within the scripture clicked in my mind. There was something within the dogma of the Trinity that meshed with the philosophy of compassion and honesty and dedication that Master Zangan had tried to teach me. I recall feeling a sense of purpose for the first time in my life and looking up through the stained glass of the temple and feeling Mitra's warmth washing over me. "I threw myself into my studies at that point. I devoured the words written within the Three Holy Texts of the Trinity (the Book of Law, the Book of Love, and especially the Book of Light). While I possessed a sharp mind, scholarly pursuits were not my calling and I gravitated toward the martial aspects of my divine learning. I petitioned to train as a Paladin of Mitra (choosing the God of the Sun because I believe it was He who brought about my epiphany), but my poor work up until this point proved an obstacle. My parents, however, pleased that I had found something that I could focus upon, again pulled some strings to get me accepted. They reserved any outward form of pride or praise, though, expecting that I might at any time revert back to my childish laziness and disappoint them once more. "I spent almost four years in training within the Church. While I was never the brightest pupil in my classes, I performed well enough to earn my knighthood. Traditionally, it's after the knighting ceremony that a newly christened Paladin can begin performing regular duties for his or her patron deity. Often this involves joining with the militant arm of the Church, which works closely with the Demorian army, but it can also include a personal journey or quest that allows the Paladin to travel the world on his or her own, serving the Trinity through deeds of valor. This latter was the option I wished to take. "My disappointment knew no bounds when I learned that my parents had arranged for me to remain within the Church of Drache as a temple soldier. They had reasoned that I was unfocused and prone to getting into trouble and that it would simply be safest for me and best of the family honor if I remained within the city conducting some humble duty within the temples. "My dreams of adventure seemed to be dashed to nothing over the next few months. With Drache being so deep into Demoria's borders, there was little to do as a temple Paladin other than stand sentry duty, perform ceremonial roles in day-to-day worship, and continue my studies. Here I was, ready and willing to make a name for myself, and I was trapped at home by order of my family and my superiors within the Church. "Then one day, a letter arrived from Pasion addressed to my brother Marcus. It was from a member of the adventuring company that my parents had belonged to many years ago - a man by the name of Hodgeson. This Hodgeson was asking that Marcus, scion of the Whitestar legacy, travel to Pasion to aid this old family friend on a matter of great urgency. Marcus was still up north in Retor and would not return for months (perhaps years). I realized that this was my chance. "I took the letter and gathered up what personal belongings I owned. I raided my family's armory and put together a rough collection of armor and weaponry. I 'borrowed' supplies from the house pantry and equipment closets. Then in the dead of night, I stole from the house and paid for passage on the first ship I could find that was heading to Pasion. "I would find the adventure that I craved. I would not dishonor the Whitestar legacy again." Powers/Tactics: Justin is a frontline melee fighter and prefers to face an opponent in single, fair combat. If given such a chance, he will usually fight defensively (using Martial Strikes and moving levels into DCV) until he gauges his enemy's skill. Then he will adjust his tactics accordingly. However, Justin is neither a linear nor an unimaginative combatant. He sees no problem with ambushes, ganging up on strong opponents, deception, or even the occasional 'dirty trick' if it gets the job done. His training at the Academy of War taught him a number of military tactics, which don't all include marching into the enemy ranks and bellowing out a challenge to their leader. Justin is canny and clever in battle and has no qualms about using any advantage required to win. That said, Justin still maintains the Paladin code of honor and fairplay. Thus, he will always accept an enemy's surrender and endeavors to fight on even ground with his opponent(s). -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks for reading...and wish us luck in the challenges that Bill undoubtedly has planned for us! Lonewalker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teh bunneh Posted January 8, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2007 Re: [Campaign] The Fearless Monster Hunters Piccies! (By popular demand) 1: Chrissie Rocks, Taleweaver and Expert in All Manner of Things (GMPC) 2. Trouble Thunderfoot, Saurian Warrior (Kate) 3. Kaira the Druid (Tammy Sue) 4. Leth Deldorian, Dwarven Warrior (Ron) 5. Thor Thorssen (member of the "other" Fearless Monster Hunters) I'm still working on Sir Justin, and I haven't got minis for Illysandri or Castilla yet. I'm also working on the rest of the rival FMH. I should have Tawny Rose done soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SatinKitty Posted January 8, 2007 Report Share Posted January 8, 2007 Re: [Campaign] The Fearless Monster Hunters I can't rep you right now, Bill, AND IT'S DRIVING ME CRAZY !!!!!!!!! As usual, love the stories and your minis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teh bunneh Posted January 8, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2007 Re: [Campaign] The Fearless Monster Hunters After the successful destruction of several nests of pig-eating Cockatri, the heroes headed back to Araeia. By the time the heroes got there, the other Fearless Monster Hunters had already left port, bound for destinations unknown. A little legwork found that they left about 2 days ago, heading east towards Silverleaves, but that no one really knew where they were going, or why. Most of the heroes spent the first evening enjoying a little well-deserved R&R. Justin and Castilla had a drinking contest and ended up staying in a hotel together that night (does this indicate a potential relationship, or simply a one-night stand? Only time will tell!). Trouble and Kaira went to Hob's restaurant and had an eating contest (the only loser was Hob, who had been giving them the food for free). Leth went to a quiet neighborhood bar and hung out with the sailors and longshoremen (his peeps). Chrissie headed to the town squares and sang the praises of the Fearless Monster Hunters and their Victory Over the Ferocious Chicken-Snakes (and made a little spending cash on the side). The only person who didn't want to relax and enjoy a night off was Illy, who spent the entire night alternately trying to find out where the other FMH went, and pestering the members of her team. The next day, the heroes decided to track down another mission – again, they wanted to stay one step ahead of their competition, in order to force an eventual showdown. Leth and Justin heard that there is an ancient battlefield nearby – very, very ancient, in fact – that in the past few months has become haunted. The place is called Devia ex Tristificia, the Lonely Plains of Sorrow. It lies a few days' ride to the west, along the coast. Destroying the Walking Dead? This seemed like another great adventure for the fledgling FMH! While the rest of them went out to buy supplies, the heroes asked Chrissie to do some research. She came back to tell them that the Devia ex Tristificia is the site of several ancient battles, dating all the way back to the time of the War of Animals. The plains also hosted a battle during the Kindred Wars, and at least one battle during the War of the Demon. Nobody lives anywhere near there now; the site is regarded with no small amount of superstitious dread. However, of late passing ships have seen strange lights moving around the area at night, and strange, human-like forms stalking about during the day. A feeling of awe and anxiety greets all who sail past or approach the area, and the rumors are only getting worse. Chrissie also graced the heroes with a long, rambling discussion about the Undead and how to destroy them. Some party members (I'm not mentioning Trouble's name here, but…) fell asleep at this point, but Sir Justin and Leth (at least) were both very interested in everything she had to say. The trip to the battlefields took about 5 days. The heroes traveled mostly at night, in deference to the nocturnal sensibilities of their Elvish and Hobbit companions. It was uneventful but rough, since the woods were very thick and there were few trails. However, Kaira and Leth were able to successfully blaze a trail and soon the heroes found themselves at the Lonely Plains of Sorrow. They set up camp about a half a kilometer away from the plains, and Trouble, Illy, and Kaira went to the plains themselves to see if there was anything to see. They found that the main part of the area was a hilly plain, covered with tall grasses and low scrub. It was very windy and quite chilly. The plains overlook the sea, granting a nice view from the higher hills. There were no markers or monuments to memorialize the dead here, and no signs of any life. Below the plains was a salt marsh, where the sea meets the land. It was a low, swampy land. Several creeks drain into the area. The water was brackish, and the land is covered with hillocks of grass and a few low-growing trees. Both east and west of the plains, the ground rises up sharply, forming low but sheer cliffs that flank the marsh and the plains. The mottled gray-white limestone makes the place fairly easy to spot from the sea, and serves as a landmark for passing ships. Further away from the plains, the forest springs up. It grows thicker and thicker as one goes deeper in, eventually becoming practically impenetrable. This is the Walking Forest, which covers most of Pasion's southern coastline, filled with ancient oak, cottonwood, acacia, alder, and elm trees. The bleak history, cold wind, and utter isolation of the plains carried with them a certain amount of dread, and it wasn't long before Kaira was getting the shivers. She said it was just the cold, but maybe she was nervous about being here. Just a little bit. The heroes decided to take up a watch on the edge of the forest, to see if anything untoward happened that night. Late at night, on the second watch, Kaira and Leth noticed a number of strange greenish lights moving erratically across the plains. They bobbed and weaved, appearing and disappearing at random. They seemed to be moving generally towards the cliffs to the west. The brave heroes crept forward to investigate, but Kaira by this point had grown so nervous that Leth asked her to stay behind (her chattering teeth were giving away their position!). Leth continued to follow the lights until he got close enough to see living, walking skeletons, some of which are carrying ghostly green glowing lanterns, others of which were carrying a large, coffin-like box. It looked like some kind of Undead funeral procession! Leth followed them at a good distance, not willing to get too close to the Undead horrors. Eventually, he found himself on the edge of the cliffs, with no sign of the skeletons at all – it was like they had vanished into thin air! He left a trail marker there so he could find the spot again in the morning, and hurried back to his shivering companion. The next morning, braced by the bright sunlight, the heroes explored the area some more. They found the ground where the skeletons had been walking was scuffed up, which indicated that these Undead monsters had physical forms, at least (which was good). They decided to follow the skeletons back the way they came, into the woods. After several hours of tracking (and more than one false trail), they began to hear strange noises – rustlings in the underbrush, ghostly whisperings that seemed to come from nowhere... Suddenly they heard a terrifying scream. A glowing white apparition with a hideous, skull-like face appeared above their heads, screaming in rage and fury. Most of the heroes were paralyzed with terror. It continued to scream as it swooped down to attack Leth, raking at his arms with its razor-sharp talons. Leth's armor protected him from the brunt of the attack, but he still couldn't bring himself to move. Trouble, on the other hand, was under no such restrictions! He charged at the beast, striking at it with his quarterstaff – only to find that there was nothing there to strike against. Kaira's Elemental Arrow spell similarly seemed to pass right through it. Illy, regaining her senses, enchanted Sir Justin's sword with a powerful spell, allowing it to exist simultaneously in this world and in the next. With a fierce battlecry, he leapt at the ghost and clove it in twain! The ghost exploded in a ball of white fire, blinding and burning Justin, Leth, Trouble, and Kaira. And then it was gone. The woods fell still. No other ghostly forms appeared to take vengeance on the heroes. Chrissie strongly advocated turning around and leaving, but the others were not hearing any of that – they wanted to continue to explore the mystery! Once they determined that everyone was OK, they set about trying to find the trail again. It took a while, as the ground was churned up by the fight. Leth discovered some strange, sticky, white powder in the area where the ghost had exploded, but thought nothing of it. Kaira eventually found the trail and the heroes continued into the woods. Deep in the woods, far from the edge of the plain, the heroes discovered a camp. A quick count indicated eight tents and at least 8 or ten people in the camp. Illy and Castilla decided to enter the camp openly to try and talk with the people there, while the rest of the group circled around to attack if things got hairy. The men in the camp spotted the two ladies as soon as they came out of the woods, and they soon found themselves surrounded by hostile people. One of them – the leader, apparently – asked who they were and what they wanted. Illy tried to convince them that she only wanted to talk, but he was convinced that she was a spy sent by the police or the army or some other authoritative body. He ordered them tied up and brought to his tent. Several of the men fanned out to search the woods for others, and they soon homed in on Justin, Trouble, Kaira, and Chrissie. A battle broke out, but the skilled and trained warriors (with a little help from the spellcasters) quickly defeated their foes. Meanwhile, Leth continued trying to sneak around the back of the camp in order to sabotage the still-like contraption that the heroes had seen earlier. As he got closer, some guards spotted him, too, so he cut the ropes of the tent over the still and ran back into the woods, with several hostiles following him. Trouble and Justin ran into the camp to help Leth. Trouble chased after the men chasing Leth while Justin paused because he spotted a man who appeared to be casting spells. The Paladin, heedless of his own safety, attacked the Thaumaturgist and chopped off his left hand. The injured spellcaster dropped to the ground, begging for his life. Trouble and Leth beat down the remaining men, and the battle was over. Or was it? No one had seen Illy, Castilla, or the big guy since they disappeared into the tent. While Kaira tended to various injuries, Leth went to check on them and found the tent empty! Apparently, during the fight everyone slipped out the back, unseen. What the rest of the party didn't know was that, as the fight started going poorly for the bad guys, the boss and his ladyfriend gathered up their belongings and took off, leaving their men to their fate. Illy and Castilla wriggled out of their bonds (now there's a thought to dwell on for a moment… Illy and Castilla wriggling around on a big, fur-covered bed…) and followed them. They ended up back at the cliffs, where the two ladies found that the bad guys had gone into a cave that couldn't be spotted from above. Illy used a spell to see what was in the cave and saw that there were four people there – the leader and his woman, and two others. There were also about a dozen large, coffin-like boxes. The people in the cave were conferring about their next move, and the consensus seemed to be that they lie low here until the next day, when a ship was due to pick them up. Back at the camp, the heroes were questioning the mage. They learned that his name was Marcus Locke, a young Illusionist recently graduated from the Mystical School of Cli in Demoria (the same school where Justin's sister is going -- small world!). He had been hired to come up with a way to frighten curious people away from the area, so he created a complicated system of skeleton costumes, ghostly green lanterns, and fake ghosts in the trees – and it worked perfectly for several months. He told the heroes that the leaders here were Ballesteros and his girlfriend Ayanna, a Druidess who had discovered a grove of trees in the area which could be used to manufacture a potent narcotic known as Red Lady. The drug is illegal in most parts of the world, and fetches an excellent price on the black market. These guys had been manufacturing the drug day and night for the last few months, and had almost exhausted their supply of raw materials. They were going to ship out in a day or so, smuggle the drug into Kohm (the capital city of Nekia), and retire rich. Justin, feeling bad that he had cut off the guys hand (especially since the poor Illusionist had only been casting defensive spells), agreed to let Marcus go free. The FMH then set out to find where Illy and Castilla had gotten off to. Meanwhile, Illy came up with a plan – she would turn Castilla invisible and the Jill would then sneak down into the cave and do a quick recon. Unfortunately, the invisible Castilla couldn't see her own feet and stumbled as she jumped down. She hit her head on a rock and alerted the bad guys to her presence. They grabbed her unconscious form and dragged it into the cave, yelling up that they had a hostage. Illy, trying to figure out a way around this problem, tried to cast a spell that would cause one of the boxes of drugs to burst open, but she was so panicked by the idea that her friend might be hurt that she miscast badly. She felt the power of the Flow retreat from her for a moment, and completely lost the ability to cast spells around corners. D'oh! (Two critical failures in a row! Ouch!) About this time, the rest of the party showed up. Now they entered into a tense situation – the people in the cave were demanding their freedom in exchange for Castilla's safe return. Could the Fearless Monster Hunters let these criminals escape, if it meant their friend's life? Tune in next week to find out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lonewalker Posted January 9, 2007 Report Share Posted January 9, 2007 Re: [Campaign] The Fearless Monster Hunters Several of the men fanned out to search the woods for others' date=' and they soon homed in on Justin, Trouble, Kaira, and Chrissie. A battle broke out, but the skilled and trained warriors (with a little help from the spellcasters) quickly defeated their foes.[/quote'] Thought I'd throw in for completeness sake that the lot of us (except for Leth, who's a bloodthirsty little cuss) were actively using non-lethal attacks to subdue our foes. Since we didn't know what they were up to, we didn't want to murder anyone unjustly. (It's always better to slaughter people who deserve it, y'know. ) Justin made an exception with the illusionist and oops! Boy, he feels bad about that. (Turns out the dude knows Justin's younger sister...) Granted a few of our attacks cracked ribs or left some lads considering a religious life...but for the most part we showed considerable restraint. Could the Fearless Monster Hunters let these criminals escape' date=' if it meant their friend's life?[/quote'] I guess we could always find another devil-chica...although Trouble has nobly volunteered to exchange himself for Castilla. Lonewalker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teh bunneh Posted January 9, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2007 Re: [Campaign] The Fearless Monster Hunters Thought I'd throw in for completeness sake that the lot of us (except for Leth' date=' who's a bloodthirsty little cuss) were actively using non-lethal attacks to subdue our foes. Since we didn't know what they were up to, we didn't want to murder anyone unjustly. (It's always better to slaughter people who deserve it, y'know. )[/quote'] That is very true. In fact, so far on this adventure you haven't killed anyone. One guy ended up with a couple of cracked ribs (when an angry Saurian tackled him). A couple of guys are going to be walking bow-legged and riding side-saddle for a while (y'all rolled a lot of 13's for your hit locations!). And the Illusionist is going to be known as "Stumpy" from now on, but there were no fatalities. I'm very proud of the restraint y'all showed. I guess we could always find another devil-chica...although Trouble has nobly volunteered to exchange himself for Castilla. Yeah, good idea. I'm sure they'll be happy to exchange the helpless, unconscious wisp of a girl for seven feet of enraged Saurian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SatinKitty Posted January 13, 2007 Report Share Posted January 13, 2007 Re: [Campaign] The Fearless Monster Hunters What can I say ? Another great Adventure Story by the Bunny. I hope I get a chance to play with you Gmming sometime. Your #1 Fan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRavenIs Posted January 13, 2007 Report Share Posted January 13, 2007 Re: [Campaign] The Fearless Monster Hunters As always the Bunny-man has me hoocked on a great story. I shall give rep now to he, 'cause I can't send him carrots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teh bunneh Posted January 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2007 Re: [Campaign] The Fearless Monster Hunters Thanks for the comments, y'all! Does my bunny heart good to know that others are enjoying this. This week I did a lot of ad-libbing, since I had no idea of where the heroes were going to go. It seemed to work out pretty well, though... ---------- When last we left our heroes, Illy turned Castilla invisible so she could sneak down into the cave where the bad guys were hiding. Unfortunately, the invisible Castilla couldn't see her own feet and stumbled as she jumped down. She hit her head on a rock and the bad guys dragged her unconscious body into the cave. To top it off, Illy got so flustered she forgot how to cast spells around corners! Luckily, the rest of the party showed up about this time. Illy quickly related what was going on, and the team put their heads together to figure out what to do next. Trouble suggested that the team just jump down into the cave and attack -- "We're not called the *Fearless* Monster Hunters for nothing, you know!" But he was shushed by the other party members while they weighed their other options. Not one to take "No" for an answer, Trouble jumped down into the cave and attacked (much to the others' chagrin)! Trouble saw three men barricaded in the back of the cave, behind a stack of big boxes. The lizard-man charged forward, bounding on top of the crates, and smacked one of the men with his quarterstaff. The three men returned in kind, whaling on Trouble with all their might -- but the Saurian weathered their assault. "Aw, hell," Justin swore, jumping down into the cave after his friend. Leth was less willing to just jump down, so Kaira cast a "Bird's Flight" spell on him so he could dramatically swoop into the cave. Now that the "meat-shields" were down there, Illy followed after. Chrissie stayed up top to make sure no reinforcements were on their way, and Kaira cast a Bird's Flight spell on herself so she could join the fray. Things in the cave were getting hot and heavy. One guy managed to beat Trouble into submission. Justin was locked in mano-a-mano combat with Ballesteros, the leader of the gang. Leth had taken two javelins from one of the guys behind the crates. Kaira tried to fly past the melee and get into the back of the cave, but some unseen spellcaster dispelled her Bird's Flight. Illy was casting support spells to help her team, but the bad guys were tenacious and tough. Bellesteros stabbed Justin in the shoulder, and the pain caused the Paladin to momentarily black out. When he came to, Ballesteros offered him the chance to honorably surrender. "If it were only about you and me," Justin said, "I'd take your offer. But you've kidnapped my girlfriend and I'm here to get her back." Ballesteros started to say that Justin could have the girl back if the heroes would just walk away, but Justin swung his sword and caught the Kidbodish warrior right in the branch-and-berries. With a high-pitched scream of pain, Ballesteros dropped to the ground. The two other warriors, seeing their boss in trouble, rushed over to help – leaving Leth and Trouble unoccupied. It didn't take long to mop them up. Illy and Kaira, not involved in the melee, saw a dark-skinned woman in the back of the cave, holding Castilla captive. When Ballesteros fell, the dark-skinned woman cast a spell shrouding much of the cave in thick, impenetrable fog. Illy dispelled the spell, but by then the woman was gone. Kaira healed the injured as best as she could while Illy and Leth searched the cave for the woman. They had no luck -- she was gone. Trouble began hauling the crates full of drugs out of the cave and dumping them off the cliff (there were a lot of really stoned fish and birds that night, lemme tell you!). They kept one crate of drugs to use as evidence. The Fearless Monster Hunters gathered up their prisoners and headed back to Areiea, turning them in to the police on charges of drug manufacture and smuggling. True to his word, Justin let Marcus go free, warning him not to get back into the criminal lifestyle, and telling him that if he sees Ayanna (the woman who got away) again, he should let the Fearless Monster Hunters know. Once back in town, Castilla wanted to take Justin out on the town and get drunk, but Justin was still too sore from his wounds. Dejected, Castilla went out with Leth, Illy, and Chrissie. Chrissie found a nice place full of people and began to sing stories about the Fearless Monster Hunters. In very little time, she had the crowd eating out of her hand. Even the stoic Leth was moved to tears when she sang a touching ballad about the first (and last) Dwarvish navy ("I wasn't crying! I had something in my eye!"). Trouble and Kaira stayed at Hob's Hot Pot and once again ate twice their body weight in food. The next day, Justin went to the temple district to see if he could buy some magical healing for himself. He spoke to Dulcinea Whiteflower, one of the priestesses of Gaia, goddess of the earth. She said that they would heal him for free -- if he could see fit to offer a small donation to the temple. Her idea of a "small donation" was rather larger than Justin's, so he started to leave, but the priestess stopped him. "Perhaps instead of a donation, you could provide a service for our church?" she asked. Intrigued, Justin asked her to explain. "One of our acolytes is required to take a pilgrimage to the northern city of Lacedaemon. Unfortunately, most of our temple guards are on other duties right now. The forests can be dangerous places, and we do not want to send her without at least one strong bodyguard. If you were to accompany her on her pilgrimage, the temple would be happy to heal your injuries without charge." Justin said he'd think about it and get back to her in a few hours. That evening at dinner time, Justin related the offer. Most of the Fearless Monster Hunters were interested in taking the job, so Justin returned to the temple and accepted. Dulcinea was delighted, and explained the mission. "Adora is fairly new to our temple. She has just passed the final rites of initiation and is now a full-fledged priestess. As one of her first duties, she is to travel to the northern city of Lacedaemon and pay her respects at the temples there. On the journey, she will follow a path that will be revealed to her by the goddess, and along the way she will periodically stop to perform certain duties -- set up small shrines, plant sacred acorns, or give blessings to those she meets. Because her path is not preordained but chosen by the goddess, the time it takes to travel to Lacedaemon varies -- it may take as little as a week, but probably more like two or three. Your job will be twofold: to protect her from harm (we are a peaceful sect and know little about the ways of war), and to keep her comfortable (she must devote her time and energy to serving the goddess, not setting up camp or cooking meals)." "Payment for your services," Dulcinea continued, "Will be as follows: The temple priestesses will heal all your wounds before you set out on your journey. We will also provide you with larder for the trip, and a small stipend to pay for any necessities along the way. Finally, when Adora makes it safely to her destination, you will have the gratitude of this temple and the blessings of the goddess." "If these terms are acceptable, then you will leave tomorrow at sunset." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teh bunneh Posted January 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2007 Re: [Campaign] The Fearless Monster Hunters Here's the background for my GMPC -- Chrissie Rocks, Taleweaver and Expert In All Manner of Things... History/Background: I guess the first thing you should know about me is that my name isn't really Chrissie Rocks. It's actually Christinella Rockbreaker, so, I mean, obviously I had to change it. Can you imagine getting up in front of an audience with a mouthful like that? Half the people would have left by the time I was finished just introducing myself. Plus, there's the whole "Rockbreaker" thing, which totally sounds like a criminal's name… which, I guess, it is. See, my grandfather was Felix the Highwayman, a notorious bandit who preyed on merchants and travelers along the Demorian Road. He had a pretty good career, my grandfather did, at least for a few years. But one day he got caught and sentenced to fifteen years of hard labor. That's where he picked up the "Rockbreaker" name, and it sort of stuck. He eventually got out, and got married and tried to live a regular life (no more banditry for him, no sir! He learned his lesson good, he did!), and they had a daughter named Roselyn. Roselyn Rockbreaker – funny, huh? Well, that's my mom. Mom had a touch of the wild in her, and all my grampa's stories about life in prison didn't dissuade her one bit. So she joins up with a highway gang and they cause all kinds of hell. She uses the Rockbreaker name with pride, 'cause it gives her all kinds of street cred (nevermind that she herself never spent a day on the inside!). Well, one day the gang attacks the retinue of an Elvish lord! They drive off his guards and take him prisoner, thinking that they're going to hold him for hostage, see? Except that Roselyn (that's my mom) thinks this guy is the most incredible thing she's ever seen. She's like, instantly smitten. So she helps him escape. But the rest of the gang doesn't appreciate this, and they chase them. The two of them are on the run for weeks, and you know how it goes – two young, attractive people in a stressful situation… well, they had a thing going. They finally make it to Warford, and the Elf lord is all like, "Well, we had some laughs, but it's time for me to go home now." Bastard. Anyway, my mom is broken-hearted, and she's had just about enough of living in the woods to last her the rest of her life, so she goes back home to grampa. Then, surprise surprise, she finds herself pregnant – with me! So my early life is pretty dull, but when I was about 12 my grampa took me with him on a trip to Godonsa. He became a stonemason after he got out of jail (Rockbreaker, get it?), and he was hired to do some work building a new structure on the campus of the Bardic College. Oh, I fell in love with the city on that trip, then and there! The architecture, the history, the people, the lake, everything about it was magical! After we left, I begged my grampa to take me back there. Begged and begged and begged and begged, and eventually he said yes. I applied for a place at the College – I didn't care if I had to mop floors, I wanted to be a part of that place! – and I was accepted! It was hard work, but I knew I was where I belonged. I devoured every book they had, learning everything I could about history, music, architecture, magic, science, Thaumaturgy… everything! When I finished my studies, I decided to leave the ivy-shrouded buildings of my home and set out to see the world. I read and heard every song and story I could find; now it was time to go out and make a few of my own. I wasn't sure where to go next, but about two months ago I started hearing about a new group of adventurers plying the Sylvan Gulf. They called themselves the Fearless Monster Hunters – a name I knew only too well! I'd learned all about them – the great stories of Gareth Whitestar and Rowena of Godonsa, the mysterious Sikir-Aman and her ferocious bodyguard Thunderfoot the Lizard, Plisianna the great Elvish warrior, Wyssian the mad, and all the others! I packed up my meager belongings and set out to the White City of Areian, where I was sure to meet them. I knew they'd let me tag along – what adventuring group couldn't use a Taleweaver to make sure the historians get things straight? Personality/Motivation: Christie is kind of a spaz. She could be brilliant if she applied herself, but she has a short attention span and is constantly flitting from one project to another, leaving behind her a trail of unfinished business. She is currently very excited about finding the Fearless Monster Hunters and becoming their new chronicler -- the one who writes the stories and songs about their adventures, and who spreads their fame (and coincidentally, her fame) across the land. She's already studied everything there is to know about the previous FMH, so she's more than ready to continue the legend! She doesn't like plain, ordinary, boring things. She dresses in the most flamboyant fashion, dying her hair different colors to match her mood. She likes things to be exciting -- and if they aren't exciting already, she's willing to help them along their way! Quote: "Oh, wow! This is exactly like when the Fearless Monster Hunters fought against the Green Dragon of Illich in 911 RM! Now, if only I could remember how they beat him... Just give me a minute, it'll come to me..." Powers/Tactics: Christie is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a warrior. She's small, not very strong, and quite fragile. She prefers to stand well away from combat, inciting her allies to fight harder! She knows how to fight (sort of), and she's got one or two useful combat spells. When there's no fighting to be done, she's much more useful -- she's a font of obscure knowledge and has a natural facility for language. Plus, she has a great singing voice and is terribly cute on top of that. Appearance: Very cute, very short human girl whose Elvish blood is very obvious -- she has a rather distinctly Elvish face, build, and even has slightly pointed ears. She has green eyes and black hair (which she frequently streaks with bright colors). She loves to wear bright, colorful clothes. She is almost always smiling, and has bright, wide, curious eyes. Christie honestly has no idea how cute she is, and she tends to think of herself as rather plain (and frequently wonders about all the male attention she seems to attract). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SatinKitty Posted January 16, 2007 Report Share Posted January 16, 2007 Re: [Campaign] The Fearless Monster Hunters Yet another great story. Here's to the bunny ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teh bunneh Posted January 29, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2007 Re: [Campaign] The Fearless Monster Hunters The mission: "Adora has just passed the final rites of initiation and is now a full-fledged priestess. She is to travel to the northern city of Lacedaemon. She will follow a path revealed to her by the goddess, and along the way she will stop to perform certain duties – set up small shrines, plant sacred acorns, or give blessings to those she meets. Because her path is not preordained, the time it takes to travel to Lacedaemon may take as little as a week, but probably more like two or three. Your job is twofold: protect her from harm, and keep her comfortable." The heroes, having agreed to go, arrived at the temple at sunset. At first, Dulcinea was a little put off by how many there were in the group – she thought it was just Justin, Leth, and Castilla. But that was a minor detail and didn't change things. She healed all of those who were injured, blessed the group, and then introduced them to their charge – Adora, a young White Elf. Adora greeted them politely and thanked them for their kindness in agreeing to be their escort. Adora is robed in green silk and wears a veil over her hair and face – she is not meant to show her face until her pilgrimage is complete. She, like all her people, is graceful and beautiful, with a soft voice and long black hair. At first blush she is just a teenager (by the standards of her people). She carries a walking staff and a backpack that holds some of the items she’ll need on the trip. While the team was getting ready, Dulcinea took Justin aside and gave him a small pouch of trade stones for emergencies on the road. She then offered a piece of advice – "Be careful. You'll be traveling through mostly unsettled territory, and there are any number of creatures that you may encounter. Just do as Adora asks and Gaia will provide." The temple servants loaded the heroes with enough food and supplies to last about a week. The journey would be by foot since they wouldn't be following any roads, though the party decided to bring their mules to carry their supplies. The first three days were easy, since the lands around Ariean are fairly well-settled and there were roads to follow. Adora stopped at each village and hamlet along the way, offering the blessings of the Goddess to the people and their crops. Because of this, it was fairly slow going (which the heroes didn't mind too much). On the fourth day, after the group had passed the last village on the outskirts of Ariean's territory, Adora veered off the main trail and headed into the woods, guided by her instincts and her vision. She said that there was a small shrine in a clearing where she must make an offering. The heroes asked why there would be a shrine so far from the main road, and she told them it was for the migratory hunting groups that pass through this area, following the herds. After about a day, they reached the clearing – but Leth heard something up ahead. They sent Trouble and Kaira ahead to investigate. Cautiously, the two heroes crept forward. When they reached the edge of the clearing, they saw two huge beasts rooting around the shrine. Trouble got excited and made a bunch of noise, which attracted the attention of the two creatures. Luckily, the critters didn't seem interested in coming over to investigate. Kaira correctly identified them as Owlbears – strange and fierce fusions of bird and bear, known for their territorial nature and willingness to attack just about anything in their search for food. Kaira convinced Trouble to wait by the edge of the woods while she ran back and informed the others. Knowing Adora couldn't fulfill her sacred duties while these things were around, the heroes decided to drive them off. Most of the group moved up to the clearing, leaving Illy and Castilla alone with the priestess to guard her. Kaira, flanked by Trouble, entered the clearing, using her Druidic powers to speak with the beasts. "Why are you here?" she asked. "Food food food," they responded. "Go look for food elsewhere," she commanded. "No," they said. "Food here." "There's no good food here," the Hobbit told them. "If you stay here, you'll be hurt." The Owlbears started moving closer to the little Druid. "Meat meat meat," they said. "No!" Kaira disagreed. "We're not good meat! We're predators and we'll hurt you!" But the two Owlbears were no longer listening. Trouble rushed forward and struck at one of them with his quarterstaff. The weapon bounced harmlessly off the creature's solid hide. The monster then returned the blow, sending Trouble flying across the battlefield and ending up KO'd next to a tree root. Justin and Leth charged out of the woods and attacked the beast that was heading towards Kaira. They hacked at it ruthlessly, though its size and fury proved more than a match for their skill. Kaira used her powers to surround the beasts with glowing, crackling St. Elmo's Fire, which confused and slowed them. Chrissie tried to help, but her offensive magic was useless against these huge, tough creatures. Meanwhile, Illysandri turned herself and her charge invisible – just in case one of the Owlbears broke through and came this way. But suddenly, she felt her connection to the Flow momentarily cut off, and the spell ended. They heard the sound of laughter – loud, shrill, annoying laughter – cut through the trees, and they saw a redheaded woman standing on a large tree branch directly above them. "Now it's time to pay for what you did to me, Adora!" the stranger snarled. "Whoa, whoa, wait, who is this chick?" Castilla demanded. Adora looked surprised and vaguely embarrassed. "I am Nikki," the woman laughed. "And Adora knows who I am and why I'm here!" "Geez, Nikki, get over yourself," Adora said. "That was, like, a year ago!" "I don't care if it was a hundred years ago," Nikki shouted. "Vengeance will be mine!" Illy and Castilla decided that, while there was obviously an interesting story here, the more important thing was to get Adora out of harm's way. Castilla tried to distract Nikki by shouting insults at her. Nikki responded by summoning an enormous Earth Elemental to stomp the annoying Darkblood. Meanwhile, the fight against the Owlbears was still raging. The huge beasts were tenacious, despite having taken several grievous wounds. One of them slashed Justin across the chest – his armor barely deflected the blow! The other was trying to eat Trouble, but thankfully Leth rushed over to distract the thing. Kaira put the healing touch on Trouble, bringing him back to wakefulness, just as the Owlbear attacking Justin decided that it had enough and turned to flee. Together, Justin, Leth, and Trouble ganged up on the remaining Owlbear and finished it off. Trouble then gave chase to the fleeing Owlbear, charging headlong into the woods after it. Back at the other fight, things weren't going well. Nikki commanded the vines along the ground to wrap up Illy, and then summoned a large hungry cat to eat her. Illy responded (rather heroically) by pushing Adora into the Ethereal World, rendering her virtually immune to attacks from the real world. Castilla was kept busy by the Earth Elemental, which was chasing her around trying to grab her. The agile Jill managed to jump up on the tree branch where Nikki was standing and knock her down to the ground. Castilla then struck a pose, laughed loudly, and pointed to Nikki. "Get her, my loyal Earth Elemental!" she commanded, pretending to be the crazy-woman. This confused the Elemental greatly. At about this point, Chrissie showed up (having decided she was useless against the Owlbears, she came back to see if anyone here could help). She tried to distract Nikki by telling her an enchanted joke. Unfortunately, Nikki apparently has no sense of humor so the joke fell flat. Kaira showed up a few seconds later and saw what was going on. "Oh no, not you!" she exclaimed upon seeing Nikki. Nikki turned around and spotted the Hobbit. "It's you!" she yelled, furious. More confusion ensued, but Nikki decided she was now outnumbered. "I swear I'll get my vengeance on you and you!" she said, pointing at Adora and Kaira. "And... you and you are also on my list, though considerably lower!" she indicated Castilla and Illy. She turned herself into a bird and flew away – narrowly escaping Castilla, who tried to throw her cloak over the fleeing bird. The men of the party showed up, triumphant from killing the Owlbear. "What the hell happened here?" Justin asked, seeing the churned-up and scorched earth from the other battle. Now that the confusion was over, Adora tried to explain. "About a year ago, I was dating this guy – Epidos, a priest of Phaunos," she said. "Nikki is this crazy woman who falls for handsome guys, and then when she (invariably) gets rejected, she goes on a mad tear against ... well, against whomever. In this case, it was me, since she saw me as some kind of romantic rival for Epidos' affections (even though he wouldn't have touched her with a ten-foot pole)." Adora sighed and rolled her eyes. "That was, like, a year ago. I figured she would have forgotten about me by now, but I guess the bitch carries a serious grudge." Kaira agreed. "She did the same thing for my master Alistaire," the Hobbit explained. "Several years ago, she fell for him. But the feeling wasn't mutual. She blamed me for breaking them apart (even though it's not like me and Alistaire were together or anything). I haven't seen her in years, but apparently she hasn't forgotten about me." Now that the coast was clear, Adora was able to perform her rituals over the holy shrine and the heroes continued on their way – now a little bit more warily. To be continued! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SatinKitty Posted January 29, 2007 Report Share Posted January 29, 2007 Re: [Campaign] The Fearless Monster Hunters The Tragedy here is that you will never have children, Bill as you are a wonderful story teller. I'm sure your nieces and nephews love your stories. I used to tune in the TV at 11:30 pm to watch Dark Shadows, but this story is better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teh bunneh Posted February 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2007 Re: [Campaign] The Fearless Monster Hunters The heroes watched over Adora as she finished her rituals, and then they set off again. Two days later, as dawn approached, they ran into a heavy fog. Although early-morning fogs are common, this one seemed unusually thick – so much so the heroes could barely see their hands in front of their faces. To keep anyone from being lost, Justin ordered the main group to bunch up together. Leth was sent a few meters ahead to scout the way. Leth found a clearing where the heroes could set up camp and called back to them. Adora, in the lead, started to go towards the sound of Leth's voice, but she tripped on something in the path. Suddenly, the entire party (bunched together as they were) were drenched in a cold, sticky liquid. At first, they thought it was oil or tar, but after a few seconds they realized it was nothing but... honey? The universal reaction could be summed up in two words: "...the hell?" Dripping and sticky, they marched to the clearing. The sun was burning the fog off, so they could see that they were in a wide, flowery field. Castilla stayed behind to climb a tree and figure out where the honey came from. Turns out it was a trap – ingenious in its simplicity. It was merely a bunch of large buckets suspended over the trail with rope. The rope was attached to a tripline – when someone set off the tripline, the buckets emptied themselves on everything below. Someone went to a lot of time and effort to set this up – though for what reason, no one could guess. The Fearless Monster Hunters sent Leth and Kaira off to find a stream or something to wash the honey off (expecting that they would start attracting flies now that the sun was up). What they did attract was something far worse than flies. Adora heard it first – a loud humming sound, growing louder by the second. Then, the heroes saw them swarming up over the trees – enormous wasps (the size of large dogs, at least!), heading right for the party! One of them stung at Trouble, but luckily its stinger couldn't get through his armor. Others were not so fortunate – Chrissie, Adora, and one of the mules were stung. Trouble, Leth, and Justin waded into the conflict, beating the giant insects away from their victims. Trouble beheaded his wasp and ran over to help the priestess. Kaira cast a spell to prevent the wasps' poison from harming people. Chrissie turned herself invisible, so her wasp turned its attention to her mule (the poor beast was stung to death and then half devoured before her eyes!). Illy told the priestess to run into the cover of the woods – the wasps' wingspan wouldn't allow them to fly under the canopy of the trees. The injured priestess happily complied, with Illy following close behind. The Fearless Monster Hunters made short work of the rest of the giant insects. The only casualty was Chrissie's mule (and a large chunk of her sanity). But then Kaira heard someone in the woods calling for help. The heroes rushed into the forest to see what was up, and found Illysandri tied up, from head to toe, in thick heavy vines. Nearby, they saw (who else?) Nikki, who had grabbed Adora and put her in an armlock. Justin tried to speak soothingly to the enraged druidess. Castilla went with a different tack – she insulted her and called her names. But they both got the impression that Nikki wasn't really listening; she just kept going on and on about how Adora wronged her, and how revenge would be hers. Meanwhile, Leth was moving stealthily behind her, and it was all Trouble could do to hold himself back. When Leth finally got into position, he yelled "GO!" and he and the lizardman charged the psycho druidess. Trouble got there first (due to his long lizard legs) and tackled both Adora and Nikki. The blow knocked Adora out cold – but at least it got her away from the crazy's knife. Leth struck Nikki about the head and shoulders with his club. Justin grabbed Kaira and ran over to Adora to make sure she was OK. Castilla summoned a cloud of utter darkness to surround the melee and provide some cover. Those in the cloud of shadows felt a blast of heat, and then, when the darkness faded, Nikki was gone, leaving behind only a smoldering patch of burnt ground. She had escaped once again. Luckily, Adora was OK. Kaira (using the stingers from the dead wasps) brewed up some antivenin to treat those who had been stung. The heroes found a small pond nearby and cleaned themselves up, then rested for the remainder of the day. That night, as they were marching, it began to rain. It was just a slow and steady drizzle at first, but it gradually grew in intensity and after a few hours it was a heavy rainfall. Trouble (feeling a bit guilty that he bodychecked the priestess during the fight) stood nearby holding his cloak over her to try and shelter her from the rain. The Fearless Monster Hunters stopped for the day – Adora cast a spell to shelter them from the rain long enough to pitch tents and start a fire. The next two nights were just as bad. The heroes trudged through mud and cold rain, always heading north towards their destination. Adora announced that the goddess was giving her a sign ("Get out of the rain") and was calling her pilgrimage short. They were going to find a road and take the most direct route to Lacedaemon. This announcement was greeted with as much enthusiasm as the cold and exhausted heroes could muster. The next day, they came to a river. Normally a fairly placid body of water, the heavy rains had swollen it to the edge of its bank. Muddy water swirled past at a breakneck pace. The heroes decided not to try and ford it, instead sending scouts both up and downstream to see if they could find a ford or a bridge or something. An hour later, both parties returned, one with good news. Just a few miles downriver was a path and a ferry. The heroes made it to the ferry point, where they found a small wooden shack, a dock, a heavy hawser rope going across the river, and a bell to ring. They signaled the ferryman and within minutes, they saw an old hooded and bearded man pulling a small raft across the raging river. "Hell of a night you picked to be outside," the ferryman chided them, his face sheltered from the rain by his hood, and his thick white beard dripping with rainwater. They asked if he'd seen anyone else cross the river in the last few days, and he told them that most folks were smart enough to get out of the rain. They paid him the price he asked (inflated due to the crappy weather). Unfortunately, the raft was small. He could fit maybe three people or one mule at a time. The first group consisted of Leth, Castilla, and Chrissie. They were to make sure the other bank was clear when they got over. The old man dropped them off and headed back. Alone on the northern shore, the heroes fanned out to check the surroundings and make sure there weren't any ambushes waiting for them here. Finally satisfied, they went into the old man's house to try and dry off. While they were standing near the fire, they heard a strange thumping sound. Not sure where it was coming from, they searched the house and eventually found a door in the floor leading down into a root cellar. There, they found an old man tied up head to toe in thick vines. Leth cut him free. "She's crazy! This mad redheaded woman bashed me on the head and tied me up!" That was enough for Leth. Without listening to any further explanation, he ran outside to try to signal the others. Meanwhile, Adora, Trouble, and Illy were taking the second trip. The old man asked how they were enjoying the weather, and Trouble told the guy that he was very cold. "How'd you like to warm up a bit then, youngster?" the ferryman asked. "Oh yes, please!" Trouble enthused. The old man started laughing – not an old man's laugh, but a crazy lady's laugh. Trouble, no dummy he, said, "Hey, you sound just like that psycho who's been trying to kill Adora!" The "old man" then shot Trouble in the chest with a bolt of burning fire. Trouble almost fell off the raft, barely managing to stay on his feet. Illy immediately cast a spell of levitation on Adora, to keep her from being dumped overboard. On both banks of the river, people saw the flash of fire and heard the annoying laughter. Justin despaired of getting across the river to help, so Kaira cast a spell on him, giving him wings like a bird. He leapt into the air and sailed over towards the raft. On the other bank, Castilla tried to climb along the rope to get to the raft, but the rain had made everything too slick. Leth and Chrissie searched for a boat, and found a small one parked behind the ferryman's house. Despite their inexperience as boaters (not to mention the danger of the storm), they bravely jumped in and began to row towards the fight. Meanwhile, Trouble was shaking his head clear from the blast of elemental fire. The "old man" tore his beard off, revealing Nikki (big surprise there). "Once I've taken care of your bodyguards, I'll have you right where I want you!" she screamed at Adora. Trouble's chainmail began to heat up rapidly. At first, it felt good – but within seconds it glowed cherry-red and was leaving blisters on his scales. He knew he had only one chance to end this. He charged Nikki, throwing his entire (considerable) body weight into her. The two of them plummeted into the raging river and disappeared beneath the black water. Leth and Chrissie were rowing desperately towards the raft. Justin was flying overhead, trying to spot something, and... there! Struggling against the tide just downriver was Trouble! Justin swooped down and grabbed the half-drowned Saurian by the tail, then dropped him into Leth and Chrissie's boat. When Trouble caught his breath, he told them that the current tore Nikki from his grip and she sank. She couldn't have possibly survived. The FMH managed to get Kaira and the mules across the river, and they spent the night in the house of the grateful ferryman (even more grateful, as his root cellar was slowly filling up with water, and if he'd been down there much longer he might have drowned!). Warm and dry and rested, the next evening the Fearless Monster Hunters guided their charge up the path. They were back in civilized territory at last, passing by farms and villages and hamlets. There was no more sign of Nikki. Perhaps Trouble was right and she drowned in the river that terrible night. After three more days, they reached the gates of Lacedaemon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OddHat Posted February 5, 2007 Report Share Posted February 5, 2007 Re: [Campaign] The Fearless Monster Hunters Another thrilling tale well told. Thanks, Bill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teh bunneh Posted February 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2007 Re: [Campaign] The Fearless Monster Hunters Another thrilling tale well told. Thanks' date=' Bill. [/quote'] Thanks! This session was a lot of fun. I like how the PCs aren't taking a "Kill everything and let the gods sort them out" approach to their problems. Like the fact that they tried to talk Nikki down, and then subdue rather than kill her. Bill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigdamnhero Posted February 5, 2007 Report Share Posted February 5, 2007 Re: [Campaign] The Fearless Monster Hunters When Trouble caught his breath' date=' he told them that the current tore Nikki from his grip and she sank. She couldn't have possibly survived.[/quote'] Famous last words. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lonewalker Posted February 8, 2007 Report Share Posted February 8, 2007 Re: [Campaign] The Fearless Monster Hunters I like how the PCs aren't taking a "Kill everything and let the gods sort them out" approach to their problems. That all ends when we throw down with the current so-called Fearless Monster Hunters....and then we begin our rampage of blood and destruction across the Sylvan Gulf! - Lonewalker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.