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Monday, December 15, 2014

Purge of the Sin Eaters: The Grand Feast Hall

Across the black crystal bridge and through the portcullis, you enter a large, strangely quiet banquet hall within the large tower. The heat hits you first, intense sweat-inducing heat from a massive fireplace already stoked up, giving strong light to the chamber. 

Dead center of the chamber is a grand feast table. 

The table and chairs seem empty, but when you start to look around, you catch something from the corner of your eye. When you look at the table in your periphery, you see the table is full of food. The seven chairs are occupied with people, but they are nothing but dead corpses. The feast of suckled pig roasting on a spit in the fireplace, the mead is flowing from the glasses and the gristle from the pork still hangs in our departed party goers mouths. A soup of cabbage, potato and leak is still warm... even the delicious aroma is in your nose. 

But when you look directly at the scene, the chairs are empty and the table is bare.

Standing off to the side of the table (and plain to see) is a pair of conjoined dwarf twins, holding a morning star topped with a spiked iron skull at the ready. They are frail and pale, seemingly lacking the strength to even hold the wicked skull shaped morning star, much less pose a threat to you. Their mouths are moving in faint sing song babbling, what they are saying is difficult to hear from this distance.

To your left and right, six stained glass windows (each showing different scenes), and a hint of a closed door can be seen to the left of the fireplace, hidden from view by the many large rafters in the chamber.

As you take in the scene, the portcullis behind you begins to close... You have enough time to escape yet, if you leave now.

What are you doing?

OOC: Any lack of detail above is due to a "what you quickly see upon entering" thing. When you post, could you remind me what treasures you claimed from the previous encounter? Thanks!

25 comments:

  1. [Azul Khadon]

    Upon entering the manse, the delicious aroma and intense heat wash over her; she relishes it as a welcome change to the blood and muck now caked to her kuttoneth.

    The scene of death immediately puts hunger and fatigue out of her mind, her hair bristles at the sight she cannot see, yet is not unseen.

    A flash of the Khamsa, and her limbs twist, the bones of her face crunching and exploding outward, taking the form of the Lesser Crepuscular Jackal of the Wastes! Her fine lupine senses honed, she drinks in the scene with a predator's eye!

    [Tech]
    Discern Realities+2! On a 10+, ask 3, 7-9, ask 1, take +1 forward acting on this info.
    Question 1 (if I roll 7-9, just go with this one): What is about to happen?
    question 2: What here is useful or valuable to me?
    question 3: What happened here recently?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. [OOC]

      I guess technically she turned into a wepwawet.

      Delete
  2. I check out the stained glass scenes to figure out what they are showing.

    I took nothing from the treasure hoard.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Breaking from the group, Haargaarth moves to the dwarf twins, pulling water from his pack and offering it gently to both of them in turn. He listens intently to their repeated babbling while keeping an eye on their weapon in case they lash out in surprise and fear.

    [OOC]
    Haargaarth dropped what he had scooped up outside.

    ReplyDelete
  4. [Vulture]

    Slinking off to the nearest corner, out of sight, Vulture kneels, using his past experience to survey his surroundings to find any triggers, wires, or potential traps to prevent unnecessary perils.

    [Tech]
    Trap Expert
    When you spend a moment to survey a dangerous area, roll+DEX. ✴On a 10+, hold 3. ✴On a 7–9, hold 1. Spend your hold as you walk through the area to ask these questions:

    1) Is there a trap here and if so, what activates it?
    2)What does the trap do when activated?
    3) What else is hidden here?

    [OOC]
    I have the golden dagger and the diamond ring of invisibility

    ReplyDelete
  5. [Azul Khadon]
    Azul takes in the chamber, sensing a potential place to rest up. She spies no immediate dangers here. (Roll 7, take 1 forward).

    [Maedhros]
    Maedhros examines the six stained glass windows. They are (going clockwise, starting on his left):

    * A group of viking warriors in perfect phalanx shield formation, eyes determined, awaiting a foe that is not seen.

    * A group of pillaging revelers looting stores and burning houses.

    * An initiation rite. A man holds up a four-fingered hand, sans pinkie. The bloody knife and finger on the table in front of him. Spectators beam approval on their faces.

    * The bastion of a captured castle. Banner planted upon it depicting a woman easily breaking a thick chain with her bare hands.

    * A woman paladin proudly displaying a holy symbol, driving away a horned devil who carries an open chest of gold and jewels.

    * A child, proudly displaying his middle finger.

    [Haargaarth]
    The dwarf twins choke on the water you give them, unable to cease babbling long enough to drink. You attempt to listen, and hear things like, "The dreadful ecology rubs the inferior scream." and "The symbol encourages the rushed dirt across a cave."... and as you listen you discover two things:

    1. You are very close to determining an important clue, if you just listened a little more.
    2. If you listen further, your sanity may be at stake. The babbling is starting to drive you mad.

    What do you do?

    [Vulture]
    You explore the area and may ask 1 question (roll of 9). Which do you choose?

    OOC: Vitals/Summary tab will be updated tomorrow! I realize this might be a slightly slower pace than what you'd normally expect from me - it's the holiday season wrecking it's havoc. I plan to post again tomorrow to any of your posts, and also next week at least once or twice. Thank you for sticking with the game!

    ReplyDelete
  6. [Haargaarth]
    ::Continues listening::

    [OOC]
    I don't fear the loss of my sanity. You presume I have enough to lose!

    ReplyDelete
  7. [Sornë]

    In his distressed state, Sornë is disappointed to see that the feast is an illusion. Ever hopeful, the battered elf turns his predator's senses to the air and follows his nose.

    [Tech]

    Is is really an illusion? perhaps there's something else that can be (literally) sniffed out?

    Assuming that the effort fails to reveal anything new, does the table in the stained glass window of the initiation rite match the one in this room?

    ReplyDelete
  8. OOC: Checking in! Waiting to hear the results of the others' moves before taking my next one.

    ReplyDelete
  9. My question is: Is there a trap here, and if so, what activates it?

    ReplyDelete
  10. [Vulture]
    Vulture determines that there is indeed a trap, a pressure plate on the floor directly in front of the fireplace. Stepping on it would cause the fireplace to blast flame at the victim.

    [Sornë]
    Close examination of the table brings back a flood of memories to Sornë. He had been here once, in this very room. He remembers dining at this very table - the food itself laden with the evil desires and sinful thoughts of their people, the people of Covenant. For they are the Sin-Eaters, destined to purge their sin of the entire population within the gauntlet this Tower represents. And indeed it seems that the table in one of the stained glass windows matches the one in the room... Interesting... But, before Sornë can think about it further, Haargarth proves to be a serious threat... read on!

    [Haargaarth]
    Haargaarth listens to the soft babbling of the twins. He has to come close, nearly placing his ear to their mouths. Just when you think Haargaarth begins to learn something useful, his eyes roll into the back of his head! He yanks the morning star out of the hand of the twins and right in front of you smashes the weapon into them. Their entrails spill out in a gory display of cold, violent murder! (Defy Danger Wisdom... roll of 3! You gain 1 XP and now have accumulated 2 total.)

    As the twins collapse in a heap of blood and gibs, a wild Haargaarth turns to face YOU, swinging around a brand new spiked-skull-topped morning star. His intent is clear. MURDER YOU ALL!

    What do you do?

    Merry Christmas! or is it CRITmas?

    ReplyDelete
  11. [Sornë]

    The druid quickly shifts into the shape of a venomous viper and strikes!

    [Tech]
    Roll +2 to Shapeshift. Sornë picks one with a paralysing bite.

    Roll +1 to Hack & Slash (when dramatically appropriate.).

    ReplyDelete
  12. Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!

    Before Sorne moves in, I move up and TACKLE Haargaarth! I put my shoulder right into his gut and slam my golden shield in his face, risking life and limb to cover the frail, lesser races.

    I'm trying to DEFEND and roll Con.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Maedros attempts to tackle Haargaarth, but Haargaarth reacts with supernatural speed! Maedros takes a glancing blow from the accursed morning star (1 damage, 9 remaining) knocking him off balance.

    Sornë takes the form of the viper and quickly strikes! The bite is true, and Haargaarth begins to slow in his movements as the poison takes effect. Soon, he drops to the floor, unconscious.

    OOC: Maedros gains 1 XP, and is up to 2 total. Let's officially break for Christmas and NYE. No posting necessary until after 1/5, ok?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. FYI, Sornë, you rolled a 9 for the shapeshift, and 11 for the attack.

      Delete
  14. Looking forward to continuing the adventure, next week!

    ReplyDelete
  15. OOC: Attempted to post yesterday, but work interfered. Today I WILL post, lunchtime!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sounds good! Really looking forward to getting back into it!

      Delete
  16. The portcullis descends fully, sealing you in from the outside world. Perhaps that's a good thing - you narrowly escaped whatever swarm was quickly converging upon your position out there.

    The morning star that Haargaarth wielded is a wicked thing; it's handle is the spine of an owlbear transmuted to darkwood and polished, and rusted chain links that lead to a spiked iron skull. Within the skull glows an emerald that levitates within. You get an intense vibe of evil just by looking at it.

    As you rest and take in the scene (and perhaps do something with that morning star, let me know), Haargaarth comes to his senses and awakens. He is not the insane person he was moments ago, but does have a glassy look in his eye, as if the experience did change him somehow. (OOC: Haargaarth, you now have a permanent -1 to all Wisdom-based rolls. This does stack with the confused condition, should you ever find yourself in such a state. The poison also leaves you with the Sick condition [-1 to Con rolls] - until a full day's rest or an antidote can be found.

    One word Haargaarth remembers from the insane babble - Morpheus.

    Haargaarth can now see the food and drink upon the table clearly, and the seven corpses seated at the chairs. No need for him to use peripheral vision. Six are dressed identically to each of you, and the last one is a woman in blue robes. The actual people look to have been dead thousands of years - nothing but dry husks now.

    The food and drink looks to be fresh and appetizing.

    OOC: Let me know if there's anything you're doing to try to regain HP. Things to possibly check out - the stained glass windows, the feast, the corpses, the fireplace, the door to the left of the fireplace, etc. LET THE 2015 GAMING BEGIN!

    ReplyDelete
  17. [Vulture]
    Leery of Haargarth's current mindset, Vulture approaches the Druid, "Azul, many of us need to regain strength; Sornë especially. Would you deem this room a suitable place to rest?"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. [Azul Khadon]

      The mouth of the Crepuscular Jackal widens as does a snakes, but splits at the corners and its flesh rips apart, vomiting forth the woman within.

      'Mine bestial senses could find no immediate danger in this place, though the unsuspected may hold threats greater still. Should we rest, we must remain on our guard.

      'Rest my friends! I shall take the first watch; my primal senses are more keen than even our Elf-King Denthelm, haughty as long life has made him!'

      [Tech]

      Making the move Take Watch, Roll+Wis and +1 Forward (+3 total).

      Delete
  18. OOC: FYI, the gem floating within the morning star skull is a BLUE SAPPHIRE, not emerald. Carry on.

    ReplyDelete
  19. [Tech]

    Since I have 1 hold left from the shapeshift, Sorne will bask in front of the fire until the party decides to move on or something happens. He's in no condition not to rest at any chance he can get.

    ReplyDelete