Grimwyrd: Resolutions

12:17 Ken (GM): TOOT TOOT TIME FOR EVERYTHING
So, Where last we left you, the battlefield stretched out below your feet, blood and rot soaking the blasted earth. Leagues of dead lay in the chill sunlight, their corpses charred and wasted. The land whispers no secrets of mana, and the Keep of Glardenfen lay another day away by foot

12:19 Doc: I wanted to add points into Survival and Hiking btw
Wasteland and Woodland are the two terrain types we’ve been doing, right?

12:20 Ken (GM): much practice has been had on that; sounds good for Rod. Either choice works, as you have demonstrators in the elf and beastman

Gray shakes his head to clear it, the savage brute studying the corpses as he scents the air. He guesses the time from death, putting it around the time the great fortress that has fallen from the sky, then ask in that rough, deep voice of his. “No scavengers. No ragpickers. It’s like the world is empty.”

12:21  (To Gray): You smell death and the Rot in all places here. As well, the undercurrent of the putrid water nearby. Nothing fresh, nothing alive but your party

Syviis says nothing in response, but a flash of fear in her eyes clearly shows she’s thinking the same thing. “We must learn how far this has spread.”

Gray turns from the battlefield and begins to walk. “We won’t find out by staying here. There’s nothing we can do for them.”

12:24 Syviis: Did we find any pack animals? Surely if there were some marching with the armies clashing here, we would see signs of them.

12:24  (To Roderick): thaumatology roll plx; you’re struck by the devastation THE WEAPON caused, and with the presence if the magic BlackRot, you’re pondering whats happened here

12:24 Ken (GM): there are many corpses here, and several of them are mules and horses. Some were barded and under small squads of knights with pike and lance, but all deceased.

12:25 Syviis: Well, so much for that idea…

Suðri Skornbrekker says nothing, worried as well that this is not the only trace of destruction they will come across.He prays to the Allfather for hope that Gladenfen Keep was spared at least, and that the devastation doesn’t reach far beyond the border.

12:27 Ken (GM): Truly, the massive superweapon was a work of wondrous power 😀

12:28 Syviis: Yep, let it be known to history that we don’t fuck up in half measures. 😛

12:28 Roderick: (To GM) rolling 3d6 vs 13 Thaum (6+6+3)= 15

12:29  (From Roderick): gonna use Luck

12:29  (To Roderick): Well, aside from the certainty that you pulled the button, the specifics of the weapon’s work again elude you. The bodies are burned out, certainly, and the rot seems to have taken hold everywhere. But how?

12:29 Roderick:(To GM) rolling 3d6 vs 13(1+5+2)= 8
12:29 Roderick:(To GM) rolling 3d6 vs 13(2+3+5)=10

12:29 Joush M.: Well, we did get the bad guys

12:29 Syviis: We did. And the good guys. And most of the neutral guys. o_o
Daylight is ours for a little longer, we should use it.

Gray moves under the remaining food and equipment of the group, heavy frame lashed with ropes that hold the supplies in place as he walks. “Yes” The brute makes for Glardenfen Keep.

12:30  (To Roderick): And then inspiration hits you; The weapon must be attuned to the spiritual planes…and if it was directed at a human target, a mortal target, but not tuned and ‘aimed’ specifically enough….it would pour its power into that place. Like opening a flood gate on a dam.

12:31  (To Roderick): You unleashed the veil of darkness between worlds, and gave it a channel into the mortal realm. Like a curse, but less personal. You targeted…”mortals” with the darkness of THE WEAPON

Suðri Skornbrekker looks again upon the heaped corpses, and vows to honor their memory after the war is over.

Bomrek absently prods corpses as he marches on, using his bayonet on his gun to keep distance from the charnel-house remains. He makes sure his apothecary plague mask is secured.

Roderick studies the corpses in deep thought, then blanches as a realization hits him. He doesn’t say anything.

12:34 Doc: btw I forget if you mentioned this but how ‘fucked up’ is all the equipment here? weapons, armor, etc

12:35 Syviis: Ahh, true. If I see any quivers of a usable arrows, I will replenish my stock while giving a prayer of thanks.

12:35 Ken (GM): Oh! The beastmen seem to have crude but wicked looking axes, hammers and long knives. The Alliance forces were mostly pike formations surrounding musket groups

12:35 Doc: Looting a battlefield is distasteful but I mean
This shit’s expensive

12:36 Ken (GM): The elves seemed to arm themselves with mixed swords/spears/shields and shortbows

12:36 Syviis: Yeah. I think we’re a little beyond “taste” at the moment.

12:36 Ken (GM): Prodding at things; everything looks…in terrible repair

Suðri Skornbrekker looks at the equipment.

12:37 Ken (GM): armor looks bent or beaten, much more damage than a single battle could have caused. Swords have large dents, or cracks. Picking up a musket…the barrel has cracked down the length! Impossible!

12:37 Joush M.: Very fucked up. Normally infantry would be assigned to parties to collect the bodies, dropped equipment and get everything sorted. Everything left after a day or two would be stolen by ragpickers

12:37 Suðri Skornbrekker: “What… what happened here? …though the dragon’s corpses were twisted and rent as well…”

12:37 Joush M.: And of course, ravens and savengers would be eating the bodies..

12:37  (To Roderick): The dark curse…it had supremely powerful physical manifestations. Like a statistically impossible amount of bad luck

12:38 Syviis: “Let’s hope we meet someone ahead who witnessed the event and can put some answers to our questions.”

Gray pauses and looks to them. “The power ruined steel and wood as surely as it ruined bodies. It seems to have a special hate for tools and weapons.”

12:39 P.P. A.: Are the horses in as bad a shape as the people, or were they simply crushed under the weight of the dead?

12:39 Ken (GM): The flesh of the horses is as burned and rotten as the soldiers; the barding has snapped leathers and rent holes. They died in painful and loud ways

12:39 Roderick: “Let us pray that there is someone ahead to meet.”

12:41 Syviis: “While I enjoy all your company dearly, I pray for all our sake’s we are not all that’s left in the world.” smiles nervously behind her mask

12:42 Suðri Skornbrekker: “…let us not entertain the notion that there might not be. I mean…” He swallows, and grows a bit pale. “Even in the case that we.. created another wasteland like that of Gorgoth… it would be limited in reach.”

12:43 Gray: “We aren’t all alone. Magic creatures resisted the power, things of Spirit. The elemental of stone and the wyld wolves were alive.” He says to reassure them as he moves across the ruined landscape. He offers around the bottle of whisky to fortify them as they go.

Bomrek accepts the bottle readily; He refills his flask, and takes a swig for good measure.

12:43 Syviis: “Agreed. No matter the scope of power held by the demons or artifacts themselves, it is still limited by the workings or mortals.”

Syviis seems to be at least pretending the peptalk is working, and marches a bit faster despite a slight ragged cough once in a while

Roderick politely accepts the whisky. “Such a thought does not reassure me, but the whisky is worth a shot.”

Suðri Skornbrekker holds out his hand when Roderick is done. “I could use some liquid comfort too.”

Gray nods to the others and resist the urge to make a grim joke about at least having monsters for company as he goes. “We should reach the keep tonight.”

12:51 Ken (GM): The grim march continues…
As the day wanes, you pick through the battlefield to the other side; the forces deployed here must have been the bulk of the garrison. You see man after man, dwarf, elf and beastmen. All in tortuously pained expressions of death, all felled in a terrible heap of violent conflict. With some comfort, you find the beastmen outnumbered the Alliance here, and their midden piles of dead are that much larger.

Suðri Skornbrekker is looking down at the ground, the horrors around him taking a toll on him.

12:52 Ken (GM): the whiskey helps

Suðri Skornbrekker thanks the whiskey

Bomrek seems to take a nip and cuss quite regularly as you march along; a distressing habit with such ready supply

Gray strongly dislikes leaving the bodies there, yet shakes his head and keeps walking. They’d be at it for weeks trying to bury the dead if they stopped here.

12:55 Ken (GM): The sun climbs in the sky, and the chill air is competing with a strong heat from the light. Mists climb up from the ground as the day moves on, and as you seem to reach the border of the carnage, behind you is many foggy banks clouding the view. Such small graces, the vision of the dead now hidden.

Once free of the mess, you’re still up in the hills, but the land slopes toward your target; Glardenfen Keep

12:57  (To P.P. A.): Youre very sure that the forces you saw deployed there may have been the ENTIRE force from Glardenfen, and possibly the Alliance. A small saving grace the dwarves sent so few reinforcements, but the human army and militias might be entirely devastated now

Gray watches for the keep ahead, but also for danger. He often scents the air and looks around them, seeing if anything else might be shadowing them in that heavy mist.

12:57 Syviis: Any signs of life?

Suðri Skornbrekker has been very silent, even given the situation, for a while and looks very much under the weather.

12:58 Ken (GM): once clear of the battlefield, the crows have returned, and perch in the black trees. They do not explore the dead.

12:59 Suðri Skornbrekker: “I tried to count the corpses as we passed by them… well, estimate the number. I also recognized more than a couple of faces… I fear Glardenfen Keep might be rather empty now.”

1:00  (To Gray): you havent noticed any other signs of life while in the field; youre likely safe from pursuit at the moment

1:01 Suðri Skornbrekker: “…maybe they left behind a few men to keep watch,” he tries to reassure himself and the party, though the tone of his voice betrays how little he himself believes in that.

Gray lifts his head to look at the crows, studying the black birds there on the animals with a thoughtful frown across the rough features. “I’m sorry, Suðri .”

Suðri Skornbrekker shakes his head and marches on, as that is all he can do right now.

Roderick remains silent, visibly apprehensive and uncomfortable with the idea of being acknowledged.

Suðri Skornbrekker may notice Roderick, but assumes he feels much the same as him, and so doesn’t bother him.

1:07 Ken (GM): And everyone marches on, silent, ill, unwell…

---

Ken (GM) The black earth moves along below you, the sickly river nearby, stinking, the hills are uneven, but the way is clear. By the graces, a wind climbs up from the steppes ahead, with clear air twisting the death stench away from you, the foul vapors now staying behind. The weather is still chill, and as the sun begins to set, the temperature wanes. Luckily, as you press on, you crest a hillside, and see Galrdenfen keep.

…Or rather, whats left of it

Gray pauses at the crest of the hill, kneeling to studying the keep and growling to himself. The relief from the oppressive scent of the contaminated river is a pleasant change.

Ken (GM) Cradled in the deep red sunset, the keep cuts a line on the hilltop, through the shining evening sky. The keep’s tower should punch up higher, but all that you see is a dusty ruin of heaped stones and timbers, burned to char, a massive crater in the middle of the walls. The putrid flow of brown mulch crawls around the keep; where the hillside should turn white-gray with the steppe, instead the blackness creeps out into the North.
The keep is again a ruin. A literal wound in the earth. The outer walls barely stand

Suðri Skornbrekker does not need to rely on his knowledge of masonry to determine that this damage is not the result of siege engines, or any other mortal means of destruction.

Ken (GM) from your vantage point on high, you see movement in the hole. Red glowing embers… but they move about like animals. Some kind of creatures of fire move about in the ruins

Suðri Skornbrekker slumps down and seats himself on a rock.

1:14 Syviis: “Is that just an illusion…or is the fire moving for your eyes as well?”

1:14 Suðri Skornbrekker: “…where do we go now?” he vocalises the thought that crosses his mind.

Suðri Skornbrekker looks up. “No… that fire is moving in ways mere fire does not.”

Gray ask in that rough voice. “We can bypass the keep and go north. It’s four or five days to the next settlement and we should have the supplies for it.. The keep is… in poor condtion. And it seems inhabited by creatures with skin of flame.”

1:15 Suðri Skornbrekker: “But I doubt there is aught to be gained from investigating.”

1:15 Gray: “I think we should. We have need of magic.” He looks at the elf, worried

Suðri Skornbrekker looks at Syviis. “If we slay one of these, could you… well, consume its mana?”

1:16 Ken (GM): [elf starvation intensifies]

Syviis shakes her head. “We’ve met magical creatures on our journey back here. But I have neither the means nor the will to feed on it. How the elemental learned to do it, I do not know.” She shrugs, and shivers  “Regardless…while I do think we should slay monsters, I wonder if this is yet another one called out of the wild and not set upon the keep on purpose.”

1:21 Gray: “I’ll tear a heart out and devour it. That should feed Memory enough to answer some questions and might provide clue enough in how to continue from here.” He looks around, finding a place to stash their supplies and Roderick’s horse. “Ready yourselves for combat.”

Suðri Skornbrekker slowly gets up and inspects his musket and his bardiche’s blade.

Roderick will ride his horse

Bomrek is bleary and tired “Lads theres no gold to be had in a fight with monsters. Canne’ we jus make camp and shoot them if they come t’us?” [Bomrek also smells like he finished his flask of whiskey]

1:24 Gray: “Their might be enough of the ruin left to make a better camp then hard ground tonight, or even a survivor… More, I’m not fighting them. I’m hunting them.” He pauses, then speaks again. “But I’m not in charge here. I’ve no right to command you if you chose not to join me”

1:25  (From Doc): Do I know if swords and guns will even work on these things?

1:26 Suðri Skornbrekker: “If you believe that there is a point in it, I will follow you; but what’s left of our cause won’t be helped by dying here, either.” The dwarf squints down at the ruins “How many do you think there are?”

Gray nods to Suðri and the wisdom of those words, turning to the keep and trying to ‘count’ the prowling ember-wolves.

1:27  (To Doc): They look like…crawling lizards aflame. Maybe fabled salamanders? They should be myths, not real

1:27 Ken (GM): Half a dozen or so slow lizard-like things move about the ruin. They’re a bit smaller than a horse, but their flaming bodies are bigger than a man

1:28 Syviis: “Perhaps we can use the river to our advantage to split them up and put out their flames…”

1:28 Gray: “Six or so. Big.. But slow. Let’s set up a gun line and shoot them down.” Gray looks to the water and winces. “I don’t care to try and cross it, though that could work well”

Suðri Skornbrekker nods. “Sounds good to me. Bomrek?” He begins to inspect the other muskets and check how much ammunition they’ve got left

Bomrek sighs heavily, slowly puffing away a this pipe (which he JUST lit) and goes about inventorying the powder and shot with his battle-brother

Roderick remains mounted and draws his sword

1:30 Ken(GM): [you’ve still got all your spare muskets, one cannon, and plenty of reloads. Bomrek has a brace of pistols, and a bundle of premade shots for those as well.]

Gray finds a dead tree, dragging it to make a shooting rest and barrier after hacking off awkward limbs and setting it up. The spare muskets loaded and inspected by Suðri are lined up for a marksman to take one after the next rather than reload, the cannon lifted and settled in place, stones pulled over to help brace it.

Suðri Skornbrekker proposes using the cannon, its spread shot possibly coming in use here.

Gray nods to Suori. “Open with the cannon, or save it for any that get close. I’ll stand ready to keep any that get near off you”

Suðri Skornbrekker nods, planning to save it for later.

Roderick points at the others. “You four can assemble together in a skirmishing formation, with Gray in front serving to defend the marksman as a focus for the enemy’s counterattack. I can ride out at at the flanks. Harry them at will”

Gray nods to Roderick. “Any you can skirmish with that don’t join in a charge at our gunners would take pressure off us. It’s a good plan, Roderick.” Gray looks to see if their preparations are noticed by their foes.

1:35 Roderick: “The guns and arrows should do most of the killing, but I will do my best to pick off any who are unprepared or encourage them to chase me instead.”

Syviis prepares her bow. “Until I can either wean myself to this new barren land, or recover, my lightning may be limited. But I will still fight.”

Roderick looks at the gunners. “You are far more skilled than most. How close do you need to be? You may wish to prepare out here whilst I bait them into an ambush.”

1:40 Gray: “Save your magic” He says harshly to Syviis, then shakes his head. “That is… steel will serve tonight. You don’t need magic to fight when you have your skill with a bow” The beast worries about her, about the constantly ebbing reserves of power in her little crystal

Suðri Skornbrekker crosses his arms and thinks. “The closer they are the easier it is to hit them, but the more dangerous it is if you miss. Given that we have quite a few shots prepared, we should keep them at distance.”

1:41 Ken (GM): [map magic; y’all are down south here, overlooking the place]

Syviis nods and checks the arrowheads in her arsenal

Bomrek “Hopefully theyre just dumb animals. Big flaming… dumb… lizards…” he trails off as he describes them, shrugging at the description

1:45  (From Doc): Can I use my Rapier skill on horseback or do I need to use the Broadsword skill? its never occurred to me till now

1:45  (To Doc): No reason you can’t from horseback. you wont be able to do retreats, mind, but you can still shank a fucker form a horse

Syviis cracks a smile at that

Gray nods. “I’ll introduce us then. Stand ready.” He says in that savage voice, rolling his shoulders, then turning to the keep he howls. The sound echoing, carrying across the chill air like some savage wolf. (Piercing Voice perk and relatively high HT.. Should be audible. Not sure it will acutely pull them, though.)

Ken (GM) The howl echoes off the barren hills and into the keep; the lizards notice immediately! They lick the air, little jets of fire from their mouths as their tongues dart in and out

A large one, more crusty and bulky than the others, hisses a scream in reply. A jet of fire sprays from it’s maw, roaring back at Gray. The lizard things dart side to side nervously as they notice you on the hillside

1:48 Gray: “Come and die, monsters!”

Roderick rides out to the right flank

1:48 Syviis: “Now we see how intelligent they are…if they have brains, they’ll probably run.”

Suðri Skornbrekker begins aiming in their direction

Syviis aiming as well

Ken (GM) As Roderick and his gallant white horse plow down the hillside, the things become even more agitated. They spit fire here and there, and the jets send up smoke from the ruins. They seem to be getting angrier, but more panicked too

Ken (GM) one of them clambers into the hole in the earth, on top of a spur of stone there, and begins to TRILL letting out a kind of shrieking hiss

Syviis lets loose an arrow at the one on the meteorite/stone there

1:51 Ken (GM): [neat; long aim here so up to double your ACC]
[he did kinda make himself a big target]
[he’s SM+2 and just under 50 yards away(-8) ]

1:52 Syviis: OK, -8 for distance, +6 accuracy, +2 Size, -3 for Vitals.

1:52 Ken (GM): skill -3 to shoot it in the heart, neat.jpeg

1:52 Syviis: Target is 16
rolling 3d6(3+6+5)= 14
No lightning damage, of course

1:52 Joush M.: Good call. We don’t even know if these things have an area 11 to target

1:52 Ken (GM): The salamander utterly fails to notice the incoming projectile, and does not defend

1:52 Syviis: rolling 1d6 + 1(1)1=2 Imp
2 whole damage!

Ken (GM) The arrow flies true and hits it in the breast under the neck; the trilling stops immediately, and turns into a SHRIEK of panic and pain

Suðri Skornbrekker will fire a shot too after he sees Syviis loose hers, using one of the weaker muskets

Ken (GM) the thing tumbles off the rock, and the salamanders all start panicking

Suðri Skornbrekker oh or not

1:54 Bomrek: “Hah! we got em on the run!” and bomrek lets loose a shot from his longarm
rolling 3d6(1+2+1)= 4 vs Guns(musket)
AND NAILS ONE

1:54 Syviis: AWWW YUS BOI

1:54 P.P. A.: the drunken master

1:54 Bomrek: drunkenly
from way too far away
rolling 3d6 + 1(6+1+1)1= 9 Pi++

1:55 Syviis: [ooc: what’s the “range increments” on the firearms?]

1:55 Ken(GM): half damage falls off on a muske at ~75 yards

1:55 Syviis: [Ah, that’s not bad at all]

1:55 Ken (GM): your bow at ~200

1:56 Syviis: [200 yards… that’s only a -12 to hit. I can do it. :P]

Ken (GM) Bomrek nails one dead center, an it squeals, rolling madly in the dirt, spewing fire in all directions

1:56 Ken (GM): Suðri taking a potshot too?

1:57 Joush M.: Remeber, the guy running around on the white horse is on our side

1:57 Ken (GM): [fanfare trumpets along as he rides valiantly down the hillside]

Suðri Skornbrekker shoots one as well, the nearest one that is in sight

1:58 P.P. A.: 40 hex is -8?

1:58 Ken (GM): yeah, and theyre +2 size modifier

1:58 P.P. A.: and 2+2 ACC for long aim…

Suðri Skornbrekker fires! 8v14

1:59 P.P. A.: does it dodge or do I hit the thing?

Ken (GM) Another shot flies true and another salamander shrieks in pain and fear; the morale of the squad of things in broken, and they begin dashing out of the keep!

2:01 Ken (GM): Rod; you charging at them? driving them off? or just herding them?

2:01 P.P. A.: (h-hey, I haven’t rolled damage yet)

2:01 Suðri Skornbrekker: rolling 3d6+1(1+1+3)1= 6 Pi++

2:01 Doc: gonna charge, then pursue (within reason)

2:02 Ken (GM): neat; roll me riding +4?

2:03 Roderick: rolling 3d6 vs 21(3+6+3)= 12

2:03 Ken (GM): JFC 21?! nearly a beat by ten

2:03 Doc: He gets a +1 for riding gear and then another +5 because his horse knows and likes him, etc.

Ken (GM) Roderick masterfully drives off the creatures, leaking fire and cowardice along the way. He shines like a knight of a fallen kingdom in the setting sunlight. The salamanders disappear into the hills, screaming and slithering

Suðri Skornbrekker finds this scene very picturesque

Gray frowns. “We diden’t get one.” He says with disapproval, then shakes his head to clear it. “More work to do. Very good shooting.”

2:05 Syviis: “Well…that was slightly less terrible than I thought it would be. Shall we go in and check for survivors? Or at least find a place to sleep with a roof over our heads tonight?”

2:05 Doc: Do I get to roll any attacks?

2:06 Suðri Skornbrekker: “There’s nary a roof left there nopw, is there.”

2:07 Syviis: “True, true…”
looks sad
[wazaaaaaaaaaaaaa!]

2:07 Ken (GM): Doc! If you’d like, you can charge one down as it retreats. You can feel the heat of their flaming bodies tho [aka, ARE YOU SUUUUURE? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ]

Suðri Skornbrekker ‘s Dislike for fresh ruins is kicking in and he really doesn’t want to look at this heap of misery

2:08 Syviis: will try for a Leg on one how far away?

2:08 Joush M.: [Take that one down! We still need to eat it!]

2:08 Ken (GM): fiss, same target but another -2 for expediency

2:08 Syviis: rolling 3d6(2+4+3)= 9
Hit!

Roderick has a weapon with a reach of 2, so he’ll give it a shot

Ken (GM) you harry the last whelp, wounded already from Sudri’s shot!

2:09 Ken (GM): an arrow flies into it from above!

2:09 Syviis: rolling 1d6 + 1(5)1= 6 Imp
Fuck your LEG!

2:09 Ken (GM): It sinks DEEP!
Rod! you charge it down!
Skill +2 to hit(ignoring locations)

2:11 Roderick: rolling 3d6 vs 14 to slash at the neck (unless relative speed is more than 7, then -1) (1+6+6)= 13
(all out attack)

2:12 Ken (GM): Neat

Ken (GM) Roderick rides in, harrying the lamed thing, slashing in a clean arc through it’s neck. The head is lopped off!
The fire extinguishes!

2:13 Doc: >The severed part sails off in an arc!

2:13 Ken (GM): >it strikes bavieca in the [left][brains]!
>the tendons tear!
>the horse screams!
>why do you guys know what that sounds like, so intimately?

Gray nods in approval at the well executed attack, the beast starting down the hill after

As burning blood stains the ground, Roderick slows to a halt after slaying the creature, satisfied at being able to vent his frustrations in some small way.

2:15 Ken (GM): [so, the flaming things are gone, and youre left with the ruins of a keep you once fought to hold from the beastmen horde. Now what?]

2:16 Syviis: will do a quick cursory check through the ruins [Curious]

Suðri Skornbrekker watches the wild hunt in the distance, giving Syviis a pat on her shoulder for her excellent shooting.

Syviis smiles and nods back.

Gray draws his knife on the way down to the salamander and tears it open, breaking it apart and attempting to ignore the heat and likely burns inflicted by the task. Hunting for the heart in the body.

Suðri Skornbrekker decides to stay behind to clean and reload the muskets, though he intends to take a look at the corpse too.

Roderick sighs with a smile and trots back to the rest of the group. “Excellent marksmanship, as always.”

2:18 Suðri Skornbrekker: “It was a pleasure to see you hunting down your pray on horseback,” Suðri returns the compliment.

Ken (GM) the charred thing comes apart like dried wood, snapping into ember-ridden pieces. Once gray is left with it, it is quickly in pieces…and one big red glowing rock in his sizzling hand remains

2:20 Gray: “Memory” He commands in that savage voice, summoning a raven of shadow and magic to perch on his shoulder. “Is there magic in this you can use? Could Power be harvested from this?”

Memory bubbles up from the Aether, forming of a shadow of the approaching night. She appears perched on Grays shoulder, and murmurs in that faraway voice “Yes, this will sustain me for a time. Good hunting Gray”

---

2:21 Adolf S.: ayy what’s up errybody,.

2:21 Ken (GM): hahah he aint dead

2:21 Doc: HI ADOLF

2:21 Ken (GM): GUESS WHAT

2:21 Joush M.: Hey Dolf!

2:21 Ken (GM): YOU GUYS KILLED
FUCKING
EVERYTHING

2:21 Adolf S.: :OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
YEAH, NO MORE ELVES
YEAAAHHH

2:22 Syviis: How much experience points do we get for “the Entire Biosphere”? 😛

2:22 Adolf S.: what will this do to the eco system?

2:22 Joush M.: Let’s just say the Jedi really felt this one

2:22 Doc: lel

2:23 Syviis: [Lookin for Magic in Alderan places.]

2:23 P.P. A.: Adolf S.: :OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

YEAH, NO MORE ELVES

---

Gray ask the raven quietly. “Could it sustain an elf? How do I harvest it?”

Memory breathes in deeply, and some of the color ebbs away from the jewel-like salamander heart. “Draw her close to me, and I might breathe some mana into her”

2:23 Syviis: [RavenCPR]

2:23 P.P. A.: I’ll remind you that if we’re the only people left alive there is a female among us. so the whole population of the planet is going to be half-elf

Gray nods and rises to his feet, the ‘blood’ of the salamander leaving burned marks on his armor and arms as the beast puts away the dagger and walks to Syviis, faintly glowing Salamander heart in hand.

2:24  (To Adolf S.): The battlefield was a horrible place, and it looks like the Alliance lost most of it’s army there. Some dwarves, lots of elves dead. You are drunk and spent the day in your bottle due to circumstances/penalty to self control there.

2:24  (To Adolf S.): The party just cleared out the ruins of Glardenfen again, this time it was full of fire breathing salamanders. Gray is eating one of their hearts and feeding it to his magic bird and the Elf

2:24 P.P. A.: if there is going to be one after we’re gone

2:25 Ken (GM): [Fiss-elf! the beastman comes bearing gift!]

2:25 Joush M.: Let’s explore a little more before we go all Adam and Eve with Roderick and Syviis.

Syviis sees Gray approach with the heart and closes her eyes, silently hoping something will work, buy at this point, not willing to feed optimism with what little magic she has left. “I trust you Gray, and your Raven. Do what you think is best.”

Gray ask the elven woman. “Breath deep. Memory, please do what you can.”

Memory does so, and a red glow suffuses the elf; the ember thing kindles in Gray’s big burnt hand.

2:26 P.P. A.: I think us dwarves will be happy to rather spend the rest of our lives carving a giant monument to make the half-elf world remember our kind, rather than thinning our bloodline and risking having beardless children

2:27  (To Syviis): You feel magic tingling on your skin; its as if you’ve had nothing to drink for days and are sprayed with water

2:27 Joush M.: I wonder if she’s going to get fire powers from this

2:28 P.P. A.: new questing goal: kill one of every elemental type of creature until Syviis has collected all the elemental powers

2:29 Adolf S.: Earth, Water, Wind, Fire, Heart

2:29 Raven: [wakka wakka]

2:29 Syviis: [Captain Planet Pentafecta confirmed]

Suðri Skornbrekker watches the elf and the beastman, hoping that the former will regain some vitality.

Gray stands by, rough features at lit by the glow of the heart and the power in the failing light of the day, the lupine beast watching Syviis quietly.

Syviis breaths out a long sigh of relief. “That certainly feels better…”
[mega understatement of the year]

2:30 Gray: “If a stupid stone elemental could manage being a mana-vore then a brilliant woman and raven can do so as well.. Memory, can you tell me when we see more things that could be Harvested?”

Syviis pulls her necklace out and checks to see if it also was able to benefit or not

2:32 Ken(GM): [not quite Syviis; your manastone needs to be bathed in mana all day long to charge :P]

2:32 Bomrek: (So, has it been shown to be for-sure that all everything is deadified? Fully, errywhere?)

2:33 Doc: we haven’t been everywhere yet, but everything’s been dead everywhere we’ve been

2:33 P.P. A.: there were some crows left alive!

Memory the raven is once again a solid creature, having feasted on the heart of your cowardly enemies “Bring me the hearts of those who are built with the Power of The Word, and I can sustain myself upon them, for a time”

Syviis slides her magic stone back in her tunic and sighs. “Let’s look through the Ruins quickly. If there’s anything left here, it shouldn’t be hard to find with the walls blasted apart.”

2:33 Ken (GM): The blackness of Gorgoth has spread quite a bit Northward, especially right around Glardenfen

Gray nods to the avian before he starts in. “Thank you, Memory.” He says to the bird, deep voice thankful as he starts into the ruins. “Not everything is gone. Magic creatures, some ravens… I’m sure we will find others.” He says as he starts inside, moving into the keep walls to search the ruins.

2:35 Ken (GM): Definitely some critters around, but you’ve just spent all day walking through a field of dead bodies tho, so they’ve been far and away from you.

Bomrek does an offensive Dwarven hand gesture at the bird, and says, Drunkenly but not too unintelligibly, “Fuck you bird”

Memory tilts her head back and forth at the gesture from Bomrek “Gray, it has been days since I was beside you. Have you let him drink the entire time Ive been gone?”

Ken (GM) The blank walls of heavy stone kept the blast contained, but the rubble filed inside is  rife with charred flesh and timber and stone. The keep rebuilt by the alliance has been laid flat, and in the center of it all lies a misshapen blob of blasted stone. The pockmarked rock is solid and foreign, with a bluish sheen to it. The ruins stink of half burned everything from the salamanders

2:37 Bomrek: (It’s a Jellyfish artifact. This whole time Ken was setting up for a Stalker, Shadow of Chernobyl gurps game. It all makes sense now.)

2:38 P.P. A.: (cheeki breeki)

2:38 Syviis: Dungeons and Chernobyls

2:39 Bomrek: Presumably Bomrek has an empty bottle, or near-empty at any rate at this point, so he attempts to chuck one at the bird. What’s my penalty, like, 3? 4?
I assume it’s just a DX roll minus size and distance.

2:39 Gray: “I haven’t kept him from drinking.” He says to the raven, the tone thoughtful and looking around the ruined place as he looks to the crater. “Do you know anything of this? It dosn’t look like the work of THE WEAPON”

2:40 Joush M.: I’m pretty sure the bird has body of air and can’t be damaged by anything, so if you want to hit I don’t mind a rock flying though the shadow bird.. but the Bird Will Remember This

2:40 Ken(GM): >roll to see how poorly it is hucked
>and how many families are ruined by it

Suðri Skornbrekker sees this commotion and tries to hold back Bomrek’s arm

Bomrek says many dwarven curse words, abandoning common tongue completely for the time being. Most of them aren’t that difficult to say while drunk, though that’s surely just coincidence.

2:41 Bomrek: rolling 3d6(1+4+5)=10

Ken (GM) the bottle flies through the air, but nobody is in it’s path. The glass shatters in the approaching night, and the sound is lonely against the crackling ruins of the keep

2:43 Bomrek: Fuck magic m8

2:43 Ken (GM): [I can only assume Bomrek’s lack of “people to buy his loot” is taking a toll on his psyche]
[That, or the whole WMD aftermath thing]

2:44 Suðri Skornbrekker: “Save some drink and bottles, my friend, we don’t know when we will come across a tavern or brewery again.”

Gray looks to the older dwarf with a frown, gaze hard a moment then simply nodding to his companion before he walks to the crater. “Someone check the fountain. See if that water is drinkable.”

Syviis goes over and checks

Ken (GM) The water no longer bubbles through, but the pond is still and clear

2:45 Syviis: Survival?

2:45 Ken (GM): Survival!

2:46 Syviis: rolling 3d6(6+6+3)= 15
Er…
well…glad it’s a fail now vs one later.
Fail by 2

2:47 P.P. A.: party dies of water poisoning, we reroll a party or raven mutants 500 years later

2:47 Ken (GM): Well, youre not sure if its contaminated with anything, but its certainly not got anything in it that could be poison…

2:48 Joush M.: [“You nay can drink water. Fish fuck in it”]

2:48 Syviis: fills up her water-skin after a few test sips “Should be usable, at least, our best source until we find an uncontaminated portion of the river.”

Bomrek would be happy to mix up some Grog later, he knows the ingredients by heart.

2:50 Doc: [booze, other stuff]

2:51 Adolf S.: That’s what he’ll write on the back of the flask in the nutrition section, Doc’.

Suðri Skornbrekker really hesitates to descend to the ruins, saddened greatly by the sight of what he helped to build mere weeks ago lying collapsed, and all the ones this fort was meant to protect being dead

Gray examines the crater, then works on putting together a proper shelter. Stone stacked on stone, an intact stretch of walls, a tent’s tarp stretched overhead to make a roof. It’s a rough place, but safer and more secure then they’ve had in weeks. “I’ll hunt around and see if any supplies survived the destruction here.”

Ken (GM) Some hollows of stone remain, enough to lean tents against and be out of the wind. As the sun sets, red climbs across the sky….and a bright green moon rises again

2:52 Bomrek: (We need to capture and breed the lizards with intent to make them larger over multiple generations, so we can then tame them and ride them out)

Gray worries for the state of their food, powder and shot stores. They had not expected to need to travel this far, and still have more to go.

Suðri Skornbrekker sees Gray getting to work, and overcomes his autism to go and help him.

2:53 Ken (GM): Gray, Perception roll; you have no scrounging skill but you have a fine nose

2:53 Gray: rolling 3d6 vs 14 Perception with Night Vision 5 and +4 to Scent from Discriminatory Scent. (6+6+2)= 14

2:53 Ken (GM): whew lad

2:53 Joush M.: It’s good that he is really good at that

2:53 Ken (GM): truly

Ken (GM) The rubble eventually gives up some edible food caked with dust and ashes; a cask of some kind of dried meat, and even some dirty bread

2:55 Bomrek: (My favorite)

Suðri Skornbrekker busies himself by preparing a shelter, depressing as it is to him to create less than a hut with rubble of what were until a few days ago walls, towers, rooms housing hundreds of men.

Gray moves shattered stone and frees the sealed cask, carrying it over to the others, then the trail bread. The beast at last washing up after the day, cleaning his armor and hands after the work with the salamander. “Who wants to take first watch tonight?”

2:57 Syviis: “I will. It’s the least I can do.”

2:57 Suðri Skornbrekker: “I’ll take the shift after that.”

2:58 Memory: “The Curse has worked here thoroughly” speaks the Raven. Her black beak clicking on the words

Bomrek drunkenly makes a crude bed against something solid, and falls asleep without much further discussion. “Gotta sleep off this booze.” he mumbles

Gray nods. “Thank you. Wake me after and I’ll take over.” He nods to Suðri and Syviis. “Careful if you climb the walls for a better look around… Humm.. What do you know of the ‘curse’? He asks the raven. “I hope you can tell us more. We have worked blind for days”

2:59 Memory: “The Darkness; That Which Man Cannot Know. ” she says

Suðri Skornbrekker wants to ask “What have we done?” but he fears the answer and would rather keep wandering and clinging to hope

2:59 Memory: “IT worked this destruction. The world is a place of men and rocks and trees and things. Above it, the world of magic. Below it, the spirits and the Souls. What happened here, the chaos sown here. It was all the work of The Darkness”

3:01 Gray: “It seemed at the time we had no choice.” He says, knowing it’s a lame excuse, then falls silent and listens to the raven. “The Darkness is a creature of the world bellow?”

Memory clucks, wark wark wark, and you realise it is a kind of laughter “IT is not a creature, Gray. You are a discrete individual. as it is said. And Syviis, a thing touched by magic, but a thing but still.
IT….simply IS.
Where IT comes into the world, the world bends and forms …chaos” she spreads a wing and gestures, points to the ruins around you. “The Darkness comes, and your world suffers for it”

3:04 Bomrek: (I hope all elves are dead.)

Syviis watches from the top of a remaining wall, but nods to herself at the Raven’s words.

3:04 Suðri Skornbrekker: “Is The Darkness a… is its home in the world of Souls or of Magic? Or is it outside of these all?”

3:05 Doc: Is Rod in earshot of this?

3:06 Joush M.: I think so Doc. Everyone should be in the fort together now

Gray nods to Suðri’s question, the shadowy raven perched on his massive shoulder. He wears the black felt arming coat but his armor is off, being brushed and cleaned to prevent rust or damaged, those massive hands working steadily as they sit beside the fire in their meager shelter.

3:06 Memory: “The realms of souls and spirit are infinite veils of existence. The Darkness is what lies between them. The primordial dark: The Space Between”

Gray nods, unhappy with the new information. They can’t punch IT.

Suðri Skornbrekker certainly not being attuned to magic or metaphysics, tries to wrap his heard around this. “So… like the stars in the night sky, the realms exist inbetween the dark, and we opened a hole that made this Darkness crash down and flood into our world?”

3:08 Memory: “Yes” she says. Simple and to the point, nodding.

Roderick [brooding intensifies]

3:09 Memory: “The Ansible was a great work by you mortals. Certainly the greatest thing ever built by your hands. To see it work was like watching fire being used for the first time…”

Gray strokes a hand down the raven’s back, smoothing glossy feathers. “It wasn’t the first time it worked”

3:09 Suðri Skornbrekker: “Is… IT gone now? ,…from our realm, and we are only seeing the devastation IT has left behind? Or does it still roam our plane?”

3:09 Bomrek: Rod “Unload the magic to cause the most havoc” Garrison.

3:10 Ken(GM): [SURELY this will defeat mine enemies; BLOW UP EVERYTHING]

3:10 Bomrek: (Kill’m all, let god sort’m out)

3:10 P.P. A.: Rod-“Nuke the plane, may life wane”-erick

3:12 Memory: “IT is still there, I am sure. If IT has been banished, I cannot say for sure. I have no memory of the event” the magic raven stares into the fire, looks at you all “But certainly, the touch has been felt before. The Darkness crept into your world once by the hands of the Beastmen, and the Horned King worked his warlocks to the cause of IT too. Your world may yet survive again”

3:12 P.P. A.: Rod-“I’ve had my fun, the world is done”-erick

Suðri Skornbrekker muses. “Can IT enter our world if not summoned into it, as was done so long ago, and as was… done by… us?”

Memory stares at Suðri , long and hard. “IT is always there, young thing. Always in the darkness, IT will be”

Suðri Skornbrekker ‘s voice grows weak, and he rests his head in his hands as he truly starts feeling the weight of their sin.

3:14 Ken(GM): >PTSD, the game

3:15 Syviis: GURPS: PTSD Edition

3:15 Gray: “Can you tell how far the power reached? Will we continue to see damage like this traveling north?” He asks the raven.

3:17 Memory: “I am no oracle, but this is truth; the darkness spread from where it was into where it was not, but the world remains. You will find life again soon Gray. You are near enough to not yet be lost. ”

3:17 Gray: “Thank you, Memory.” He says in that rough voice, falling silent.

Suðri Skornbrekker raises his head upon hearing this, feeling very relieved in at least this aspect.

Roderick sighs with relief to hear that some life remains

3:19 Memory: “I must rest again. The beasts heart was filling, but not ever-full” The raven shimmers, drifting downward like spilled ink.

The green moonlight casts sickly shadows as she bonds again with Gray. Sparks trail up from the fire and the chill sets in. In the distance, the night thickens.

That night, you are all awoken by a singular sound.

A very familiar voice screaming in rage “WHAT DID YOU DO?!”

Syviis stands and draws, searching for the voice.

Gray growls, an inhuman sound, and speaks softly to himself. “I didn’t kill you enough the first time?”

Suðri Skornbrekker opens his eyes but doesn’t stand up yet. “What did we do…”

Ken (GM) The elven woman stands up on the wall, lined in green moonlight.

Suðri Skornbrekker looks at her, in a way moved to see someone other than them—if not alive, at least sentient and sapient.

Roderick awakens and grabs his sword

Gray rises to his feet, sword taken from nearby, looking to the vampire and studying her there in the moonlight. “Good evening to you, Lady. I see you endure, despite what’s come to this land.”

Syviis frowns and aims the tip of her arrow at the ‘elf’

3:24 Suðri Skornbrekker: “Let us not fight. Your grave probably lies buried under half a mountain; you could not come back from it again.” He grasps his musket and bardiche just in case, but does not become hostile.

3:25 Gray: “We might also have flooded it with lava.” He adds to Suðri’s comments.

3:26 The woman: “What the hell are you all talking about?! You blew it all up! you crazy bastards!” She seems distraught, She pulls her hair as she screams at you into the night. “You took the single greatest invention ever built by elven hands and CRASHED IT INTO THE EARTH!”

3:26 Suðri Skornbrekker: “We… we were atta—” Suðri Skornbrekker ‘s mime sours when he realizes she’s talking about the Ansible, not the world.

3:27 Bomrek: “FECK OFF I’M TRYIN’ ‘TA SLEEP!” Bomrek yells groggily from his bed.

Suðri Skornbrekker gets up and shouts back at her angrier and louder than Bomrek over there: “If that’s the greatest invention built by elven work, Elves are even more despicable than I thought! What a piece of shit! Can’t defend itself without destroying itself, and everything around it!”

3:28 Syviis: “Greatest elven work?” pulls down her mask and spits on the earth “You mistake might and destruction for greatness.”

3:28 Suðri Skornbrekker: “What twisted evils could trap an unholy Darkness from out of this world in a flying death machine?!”

3:29 Bomrek: “Aye, fuck the elves, point-eared sots” Bomrek says, starting a little loud and then going only loud enough for the others to hear him.

3:29 The woman: “It wasnt evil! It was just math! magic! By the same logic your GUNS are pure evil!”

3:29 Suðri Skornbrekker: “I can AIM my guns! Nor do my guns become unusable after one shot!”

Roderick is very confused but he thinks she called his landing a “crash” and is vaguely offended, given how hard he worked to not die when it happened.

3:30 P.P. A.: credit where credit is due

Syviis walks across the top of the wall, keeping her arrow ready. In Elvish: “[Were not the millennia of kind tenure with the natural world enough for you? You mock your ancestors by wrenching your power unnaturally from death!]”

3:31 Gray: “The machine reached into the power of the void. Why did you create such a thing? Why leash such power?”

3:32 The woman: “You call that AIM?!” her voice peaks, cracking. She slumps onto the wall where she stood “You killed EVERYTHING. All of them! The Giants, the dragons. Hell, I think it’s safe to say the Beastman threat has ended!” she scoffs

3:33 Syviis: “Then help us, or leave us to peace. Either way, your screaming only attracts a headache!”

Suðri Skornbrekker cannot come up with a retort, finding the death of giants and dragons and Beastmen to be good news overall.

3:33 Gray: “I told him to fire it. It was my mistake. I thought it worth the cost in the face of death and the Weapon falling into the hands of a Lord of the Night”

Bomrek agree’s, the Beastmen are nothing but a scourge, generally speaking. Erasing them from existence is as fixing a leaky roof, or oiling a squeaky door.

Suðri Skornbrekker looks over to Gray. “I agreed with it as well… We were fools, not knowing what we were doing, or its consequences.”The dwarf shakes his head. “Because we were mortals, and worried about our lives and our mission.”

Roderick feels kind of proud when she puts it like that, which leaves him even more confused as to whether she is friend or foe.

3:34 Suðri Skornbrekker: “Perhaps you were right after all!” he shouts at the immortal, undead elf, mad at himself for saying this.

3:35 P.P. A.: [if we had been immortal we could have been like “nah, let’s just die and see if we can get it back rather than press this scary button”]

3:36 The woman: “Why the HELLS do you people keep thinking I’m immortal?! YOU. BROKE. ME. TOO! You imbiciles! When you killed my Lord.” she trails off there, getting quiet…

she sniffles

3:36 Suðri Skornbrekker: “…eh? We killed you once, and you came back from that grave.”

3:36 Bomrek: Wassis’ lady look like, exactly? Does Bomrek remember her, or was he drunk the last time she showed up too?

3:37 Gray: “I didn’t mean to kill you. Or thousands of men, dwarves and and elves on the battlefield. I didn’t mean to break the connection to what keeps you alive.”

Suðri Skornbrekker already pieced together that the guy who attacked them was her lord and she derived her immortality from him, but he still wants to hear it from her.

3:37 The woman: [this is the woman you battled with about the Dreugar keep; she originally warned you away, you fought her in the keep, and she came back. You bartered with her for her coin armor.]

---

3:37 P.P. A.: >Ken measures her distance to us

uh-oh

3:37 Bomrek: That was me

3:38 P.P. A.: ah, good

3:38 The woman: lol

3:38 Bomrek: Have a plan to kill everyone you meet, PPA-kun

3:38 P.P. A.: naturally

---

3:38 Gray: “Or the innocent beast that lived in this ruined land. Or the blood mage elf and his bride spoke to at the base of the fortress that I almost certainly killed.. If you mean to try and kill me for what I’ve done, I’m here.”

3:38 Bomrek: (“AHAH, I WAS ONLY PRETENDING TO BE DRUNK. QUICK, SHE REVEALED SHE’S MORTAL, SHOOT HER!”)

The woman is muddy, and in disarray. She still has her robes, but not her scales of silver. She looks frail, and tired. And now…shes crying

Suðri Skornbrekker takes a step towards her. “I’m sorry for what we’ve done.”

Gray looks to Suðri , then nods in agreement. He has little reason to think the vampire is a good woman, but he feels for her in her current condition.

Suðri Skornbrekker recognizes that she too is a victim of the cataclysm, and in a way is happy that there is someone alive he can apologize to.

Syviis huffs, but tries to let a bit of her anger fade.

3:40 The woman: “Thank you, I guess” she says, wiping back some tears

3:40 Bomrek: What time of the day is it? Is the accursed sun awake?

3:40 P.P. A.: middle of the night under the clear green moon

3:41 Bomrek: How enchanting.

3:41 Doc: Does Roderick know anything about her?

Suðri Skornbrekker looks behind him to see Bomrek aiming at her, unsurprisingly. He takes a step back and holds his hand out before him. “Not unless necessary…please.”

3:42 Doc: i.e. if she’s a vampire like Gray says, can he tell?

3:43 Ken (GM): [if you can use your mage senses to check, you’d have to touch her at least. Offhand, she had some spoopy powers revolving around her coin armor, but that seems to be gone for now]

Bomrek isn’t aiming at her, he’s lying in his bed trying to get the noise to fuck off.
Mostly’.
He’s sleepin’ off the heavy drinking, mostly.

3:43 P.P. A.: oh ok retcon that then

3:44 Suðri Skornbrekker: “Anything we can do to… make things better?” He does not want to say ‘fix’, for too much damage has been wrought, to many lives erased for there to be anything left to ‘fix’.

Roderick produces a handkerchief and approaches the woman, sword still in hand but lowered.

Gray considers a moment, then nods to the muddy woman. “Do you need supplies? Food or a blanket?” The beast asks the vampire, Considering what he can spare.

Syviis lowers her aim and crouches back down into a watching huddle in her cloak

3:45 Bomrek: “Tell’er to fuck off, she’ll steal my coin, greedy Elf. Can’t trust’m to.. to not try to steal it.” Bomrek says, slurred, a little closer to sleep than earlier.

3:45 Roderick: “It was I who unleashed this destruction. This apology is all I can offer.”

3:45 The woman: “I hate to admit it, but food would be lovely. Thank you” She plods down the rampart wall stairs

3:45 Doc: tfw Code of Honor

3:46 Bomrek: Bomrek has a sense of duty to Dwarves, not to disgusting Elves who are also dead.

3:46 Doc: yeah but she’s a LADY

3:47 Ken(GM): on that note, Rod, you’ve never been introduced

Suðri Skornbrekker sits back and ponders. He is too emo right now for introductions

Gray nods to Roderick the savage brute putting food and a cup with watered down whisky on it to serve as something to drink. The beast speaking in that rough voice. “He is Roderick. I am Gray. Falkirk sleeps there, Syviss is on the roof. Bomrek would like it if we spoke quietly, and Suðri rests there.”

Suðri Skornbrekker looks up and nods in acknowledgement.

3:50 The woman: “I was once called Deloth-Ainur. The ‘breaker of magic’ ” She offers, weakly, taking the cup and sitting with you at the fireside

Roderick offers the handkerchief to the woman and bows slightly. “Once the scion of a noble house, now a mass murderer, it seems.”

Deloth-Ainur laughs, a pretty sound, in a dark night; she takes his outstretched hand, and curtsies back as she can in her tattered robes

Syviis smiles grimly behind her face-mask at the irony of her name

3:52 Suðri Skornbrekker: “…I guess we’re all ‘breakers of magic’ now,” Suðri chuckles slightly.

3:52  (To Syviis): Technically, the translation is “Breaker of the [sanctity and spirit of all life]” which elves see as religion of a sort, but the poetry is nice

3:53  (From Syviis): yeah, it’s kinda funny how we and the WMD did a better job than her namesake. 😛

Suðri Skornbrekker can’t really find his own black humor funny, it is too bitter on his tongue.

3:53 Bomrek: “My name is Bomrek, I shoot off heads, proud shooter for the Mezumdùstik home guard. Don’t touch my gold or I’ll shoot you, Elf.”

3:53  (From Roderick): Rod is in the process of overcoming his Obsession[restore his kingdom] btw. Gonna spend the points on it after this session if it’s okay. The guilt of what he’s done is changing his perspective a bit

3:53  (To Roderick): Neat; coming to terms with it then? Seeing the scope of the world and all it’s grasp?

Gray bows his head to the elven woman. He sets his blanket out, adding some personal basics, cloth wrapped food, some spare clothes… the thin tunic and trousers will be far from the right size, but are at least clean. A bottle of whisky, then he rolls up the bundle and ties it with rope. Enough supplies to travel with, at least…

---

3:53 Ken (GM): AND ON THAT NOTE

3:54 Ken (GM): I would have to say, this was a pretty good conclusion to the chapter

3:54 Ken (GM): or at least an anime-tier chapter end

3:54 Joush M.: Nice. We got to a place that isn’t a horrifying ruin, just a normal ruin

3:55 Ken (GM): setting goals and meeting them

3:56 Bomrek: I spy two elves still alive.
If my goal is to exterminate all elves, I’m not yet done.

3:56 Joush M.: And now Suðri has a girlfriend

3:57 Suðri Skornbrekker: pff

3:57 P.P. A.: ^

3:57 Ken (GM): are we talking classic tsundre relationship? Shinji Evangelion style?

3:58 P.P. A.: elf is elf though

3:58 Adolf S.: I-It’s not like I w-wanted to h-hang out with you while you cleaned your musket, b-baka! I-I just needed to sit down!
^^^^

3:59 P.P. A.: now that we know that there is life yet (unless the Raven was referring to her and nobody else), you can’t even bring the “can’t be picky when there is a grand total of two females left alive worldwide” argument!

3:59 Joush M.: Hey, there’s at least 3. If we count sprirt ravens as alive

3:59 Fiss: Excuse me…but there are THREE females. Half-Magical-Raven folk populate the Earth
lol

4:00 Doc: Rod had a problem with banging elves but he’s about to buy off that disadvantage FOR COMPLETELY UNRELATED REASONS

4:00 P.P. A.: GrimWyrd 2: The Crowlands

4:00 Fiss: lol

4:00 Ken (GM): Grimwyrd 2: the porn remake of a series

4:00 Adolf S.: Disgusting. Why would anyone want to lay with an Elf?
Their ears would poke out your eyes on accident.
Truly sickening.

4:00 Doc: Seriously though I’m about to buy off the Obsession disadvantage

4:00 Fiss: Contrary to popular belief, the ears don’t poke out to the front or back upon arousal.

4:01 Joush M.: They are however razor sharp and eye seeking

4:01 Fiss: Well, of course! How else do Elves fish?

4:01 Adolf S.: What, Rod was obsessed with Elves?
Sounds like /tg/

4:01 P.P. A.: Suðri is only Chauvinistic, not Bomrek-tier racist

4:01 Doc: Obsessed with becoming a nobleman like he was supposed to be

4:01 Ken (GM): he was obsessed with retaking some level of status/wealth

4:01 Adolf S.: Bomrek doesn’t /hate/ elves.
He just hates Elf culture and most Elves in general.
and Magic.
That’s not Dwarven.

4:01 P.P. A.: so elves suck no doubt but some elves can be tolerable and be good at some things, like Syviis and shooting bows

4:01 Ken (GM): I assume Roderick has had a rude awakening to the nature of the universe

4:02 Doc: Yeah this whole episode has made him kinda stop giving a shit
He’s still Chauvinistic and has his Code of Honor and whatnot

4:03 P.P. A.: Suðri was just a mason who wanted to serve his coutnry and get an opportunity to help build all sorts of new castles and towns ;_;
instead he depopulated entire areas and nuked everything

4:03 Adolf S.: Bomrek wanted money and some more adventure. He got that, sort of.He’s really unhappy he hasn’t seen a Dwarven latrine in months, though.
Also he hasn’t seen near enough intact roofs.

4:03 P.P. A.: well he got lots of money and lots of adventure

4:03 Ken (GM): a literal sack of gold

4:03 P.P. A.: just noweher to spend it and nobody to tell them to

4:04 Adolf S.: Is that valued at real-life standards, or standard-fantasy-land standards?
Because the former, I can buy an Island
the latter, I can buy a sword.

4:04 Ken (GM): lol

4:04 Joush M.: GURPS gold is generally more “real world” then “50 coins to a pound”

4:04 Ken (GM): somewhere in between
definitely not DnD level inflation

4:04 P.P. A.: Maybe the reason for all the inflation in fantasy games and TTRPGs is the dwarves. They dig up a ton more gold than any human could

4:05 Adolf S.: Will it pay for his alcohol, and stock his family’s communal coffers enough to warrant a new statue of him be erected back home?

4:05 Joush M.: A D&D sword can cost a pound of gold

4:05 Doc: I autismed it out when rolling my character and Rod has 5 gold pieces worth $400 total

4:06 Joush M.: The old statue is of him drunk on duity, getting into a fist fight with a seagull

4:06 P.P. A.: noice

4:06 Joush M.: So he really wants a new one

4:06 Ken (GM): hahah

4:06 P.P. A.: new stature is him drunk, hurling a bottle at a raven

4:06 Ken (GM): I can see that fitting true

4:06 Doc: lel

4:06 Ken (GM): maybe punching a horse instead of a gull tho

4:06 Adolf S.: I like the idea of Bomrek punching a seagull.
Fuck Seagulls, they’re shitty
they’re the irish of the sky

4:07 Ken (GM): “disagreement on dinner plans”

4:07 Adolf S.: fuck them
and fuck the Irish

4:07 P.P. A.: That said, today was the betst TTRPG session I’ve ever had

4:08 Joush M.: “And Fuck the Irish: A history of the British Empire”

4:08 Adolf S.: :OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

4:08 Ken (GM): ppa, I love you too bro

4:08 P.P. A.: a real rollercoaster of emotion, with very dense atmosphere and heavy mood, ups and downs, the battle against the fire lizards, etc.

4:08 Adolf S.: screamful terror.

4:08 Doc: there were a lot of serious ups and downs

4:08 Joush M.: I really liked this too. Thanks Ken, it was very nice

4:08 Ken (GM): [OH GOD NOT THE ELF WOMAN]

4:09 Doc: yo is the elf woman hot btw
(this is something I always ask, but there haven’t been many females in this game)

4:09 Ken (GM): lol
IS SHE HAWT
ARE THERE ANY GURLZ THERE

4:09 Doc: PPA can confirm, this is a thing I do

4:09 Ken (GM): I WANNA DOOOOOO THEM

4:09 P.P. A.: (can confirm)
(the one time he forgot to the NPC was super -hot)

4:09 Fiss: lol

4:09 Doc: That also happened
I was so mad

4:10 Ken (GM): I will say this; she has lecherousness

4:10 Doc: Just because my character doesn’t care about if a girl is hot doesn’t mean I don’t need to ask

4:10 Adolf S.: I had intended Bomrek to fall in love with a prostitute
Odd that I’ve never had a chance to do that at all thus far.

4:11 Ken (GM): about a year ago I put half elf rover women in front of you, but
I also did throw a dragon at you right after ward so thats my fault there

4:11 Adolf S.: Was that at the uh Gypsy camp

4:11 Joush M.: Horsa almost got rover-lucky

4:11 P.P. A.: half-elf is half an elf too many
also ew gypsies

4:11 Adolf S.: ^^^^^

4:12 Ken (GM): lol I really hit a nerve with the European sensibilities didnt I

4:12 Doc: our autism is POWERFUL

4:13 P.P. A.: I do like our interactions with this NPC

4:13 Ken (GM): [insert physical autism]

4:13 Adolf S.: Anyway, I was hoping the prostitute would be an Elf, for the irony

4:13 P.P. A.: We killed her because she acted as much like a stereotypical villain as conceivable, even though she’d never actually hurt us or otherwise obstructed us but we didn’t want o risk that, so we did a pre-emptive strike then we killed her but she came back five minutes later

4:14 Ken (GM): shot her in the goddamn head, IF I do recall

4:14 Fiss: Yep. With explody!

4:14 P.P. A.: and we calmed her down though she was understandably angry and then sent her off after we gave her her armour back

4:14 Doc: Rod’s Code of Honor demanded that he do SOMETHING nice for her since he’d clearly wronged her and she wasn’t visibly about to kill them all

4:15 Ken (GM): very honorable, truly

4:15 P.P. A.: We don’t have a code of honour, so we shoot first and ask quesitons later.
She provided us with the rare opportunity to actually get answers to those questions!

4:15 Doc: Unlike his Obsession, he’s not likely to buy that one off

4:15 Ken (GM): even after you shot her!

4:15 P.P. A.: Yes! (actually that happened before with what Minotaur Bomrek shot and Falkirk saved from certain death and patched back up)

4:16 Adolf S.: He’s… probably dead now.

4:16 P.P. A.: RIP ;_;7

4:16 Adolf S.: Don’t feel too bad, PPA, Beastmen aren’t people.
They’re like Parrots, animals that can kind of talk.

4:17 P.P. A.: kek

Gray is standing Right There

4:17 Adolf S.: You heard me, boy.

4:17 Fiss: The Elf has enough points to buy off her Mana Dependency… but honestly, that doens’t make sense…like a Dwarf buying off Beard-Addiction.

4:17 P.P. A.: Is the Mana Addiction part of the Elf template or a Disadvantage you bought?

4:17 Fiss: Yep Dependency basically

4:17 P.P. A.: ah

4:17 P.P. A.: yeah, doesn’t seem like somehting to be bought off easily
maybe after a month of cold turkey

4:18 Adolf S.: Oh, how many points today? Bomrek’s got a good handful

4:18 Joush M.: They’ve got a way to get mana, in any case

4:18 P.P. A.: I’m creating a character for a different GURPS campaign that introduced me to more advanced things like Talents

4:18 Adolf S.: Also, Bomrek has some really kick ass bayonet / spear skill, but I’ve never, ever used’m.

4:18 Ken (GM): its not even addiction! its physiological dependency! jesus

4:18 Fiss: na na na na na…snooop dee-oh-double geee

4:18 Ken (GM): elf 101

4:18 P.P. A.: might actually put my points to use soon and restructure Suðri a little

4:19 Fiss: Mana is totally Elf Weed lol

4:19 P.P. A.: that GM is also forcing me to use GSC so I might redo Suðri’s sheet in that too

4:19 Adolf S.: On the four-hundredth and twentyth day of the Elf calendar…

4:19 Ken (GM): Take a goodly bunch, say 6,

4:19 P.P. A.: ;_;

4:20 Adolf S.: 6 points? :OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

4:20 Joush M.: It’s a great idea, PPA. The GCS is a great utility

4:20 Ken (GM): Im gonna do a thing, write a touch of stuff up and call this next chapter a bit of a timeskip in broad terms , you guys ended the beastman threat with certainty. You also managed to kill everything involved, after a fashion.

4:21 Fiss: Sounds good. As much as I enjoy walking through the ruins of the world, eventually we should come across something else. 😛 Or die.

4:21 Ken (GM): It caused HAVOK with mana in the lands here, but sufficed to say it was only localized on Gorgoth

4:21 Joush M.: See? We won!

4:21 Adolf S.: Yeah!

4:21 P.P. A.: We prevented a war!

4:21 Ken (GM): I’d imagine you all are headed toward civilization etc?

4:21 Adolf S.: KKKill all beastmen!

4:21 Fiss: Any battle you can walk away from is a win, right? 😛

4:21 Adolf S.: Indeed we are. Where’s the nearest civilization that isn’t an Elf, Ken?

4:21 P.P. A.: On one hand this scene is great to fade to black, on the other hand there’s a lot of stuff we could ask her still

4:21 Adolf S.: Because we can probably assume they won’t be happy, firstly,

4:21 P.P. A.: then again

4:22 Joush M.: That was Gray’s idea. He wanted to take the group North, until they could at least link up with the Grayhold Militia

4:22 Adolf S.: and secondly they don’t have anyone Bomrek gives enough of a shit about to buy.

4:22 P.P. A.: it might be more appropriate to just learn about one another on the way back to civilization

4:22 Joush M.: Failing all else, they can go all the way back to Oakway. I might be remebering that name wrong(?)

4:22 Fiss: Yeah…I’m thinking the elves are probably waiting for me to report…possibly so they can crucify Syviis. Like…on a cross, only more elfy…maybe a tree.

4:22 P.P. A.: so that could be hand-waved and we just known anything important after the timeskip

4:23 Joush M.: In Elf Cruifiction they make you sit on a chair and listen to Dwarf Poetry

4:23 Ken (GM): certainly, you guys are gonna be seen in a stark light; is what you did evil? Was it good? Necessary?

4:23 Fiss: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

4:23 Ken (GM): Was ending the war today more important than doing ‘the right thing’?

4:24 Joush M.: Gray makes no value judgement about it, but takes responsibility. He mantaines that while Rod hit the switch, he’s the one that said to. He will also admit when he gave the order he did not understand what effect it would have

4:24 Ken (GM): all that aside; theres definitely trouble brewing. The majority of the the human army got wrecked. Hundreds if not thousands of men died in Gorgoth and on the frontier. alongside the elven scouts and dwarven mercenaries

4:24 P.P. A.: Suðri doesn’t remember what he said or didn’t say, but he agreed with the course of action at the time, and considers himself just as responsible as Roderick or anyone else

4:24 Fiss: Syviis will defend that they sent in a hammer and found a nail. And that if they want a swiss-army-knife, they’d better train her the fuck up in some magical shit.

4:25 Ken (GM): lol well put fiss
“I shoot LIGHTNING at things, I don’t do ‘diplomatic niceties'”

4:25 Fiss: Seriously, though, they went in, resisted the “let out the demons” but the only magical folk were zombified before instructions were read out. We had very little options.

4:25 Adolf S.: Dwarf Poetry? Heavy may be the rich man’s purse, but heavier still is the poor man’s stomach.

4:25 P.P. A.: once scouts arrive at the front they will see that the coalition army was in some areas outnumbered by the beastmen and their allies

4:25 Doc: Rod’s code of honor will require him to take full responsibility

4:25 Adolf S.: Your deeds may make you feel bad, but it’s better than going hungry.

4:26 Joush M.: Grayhold’s going to be in chaos. I can’t wait to see what happens next

4:26 Fiss: I’d be happy to throw some of her points at proper magical training, but I’m not sure how that works other than the talent and power thing we set up.

4:26 Ken (GM): and Rod will be dragged kicking and screaming away from those folks who would incriminate the LOT of you, I’m sure
@Fiss; talent is a flat +1 bonus/5 points on relevant skills and uses. Thaumatology skill is the calculus of magic. That just about covers it until you get into specialized training

4:27 Fiss: nods
She’ll definitely want to seek that out.

4:27 Ken (GM): hidden lore and thaumatology are your refined tools. Storm/thunder talent is your speciality

4:28 Joush M.: I’m also super curious about our chance to get paid, sell stuff and buy new gear

4:28 Doc: I think Rod can teach Thaumatology

4:28 Ken (GM): nods

4:28 Doc: Need at least a 12, which he has

4:28 Fiss: Mmm, between Rod and letting the Raven sip on her Power-Stone, she might be able to lean some on the trip.

4:28 Adolf S.: Pssh, we got rid of all the beastmen and some assholes who were probably going to destroy the world. We lost some men, but it’s an acceptable loss. Why only one Ansible, America?

4:29 Joush M.: Bomrek is going to be writing a book in the down time “I Did the Right Thing” with a dwarf flag on the cover. Super racist stuff inside

4:30 P.P. A.: Where will we pick the game back up? I really don’t know what Suðri is going to do, that’s something that’d be decided by the outcome of any trials, how the reactions are by veeryone, what happens to the rest of the party, etc.

4:30 Ken (GM): lol

4:30 Adolf S.: Bomrek will as always try to make more money.

4:31 Ken (GM): PPA; simple enough, you wanna keep playing him? or is this his walk off stage left?

4:31 P.P. A.: He’d love to atone by helping to build a giant monument to all the fallen but if he’d be shunned from any such work, he’d probably wander a little while before eventually going hermit and doing it anyway all by himself
well, it depends on what comes next

4:31 Adolf S.: What he ought’a do first is build a monument tot he fallen dwarven mercenaries, somewhere back home.

4:31 P.P. A.: If there’s an opportunity he can otherwise redeem himself, or help limit the fallout of their actions (like rebellions popping up and such,) he’d seize the opportunity

4:31  (From Adolf S.): Speaking of, has his inability to taste gone away yet? He’ll likely seek out a good doctor for that.

4:32  (To Adolf S.): congrats, you have earned the disadvantage: no sense of smell/taste! during play

4:32 P.P. A.: if not, he would probably retire to go dwarf autism and make a nice big monument out of some mountain

4:32 Fiss: I’m pretty sure “Minecraft” is just: Dwarven Heaven Simulator.

4:32 Ken (GM): hmm, sounds like a solid case for him to ‘retire’ for the time being

4:33  (From Adolf S.): I do not get points for that, correct? I’ll make it as 0 in gcs.

4:33  (To Adolf S.): affirmative

4:33 Joush M.: Gray still needs to find a cure for blackrot once he has Falkirk back in the care of healers

4:33 Adolf S.: Maybe I’ll invest all 14 points I have currently into writing,

4:34 P.P. A.: what of vampire elf btw

4:34 Joush M.: Though that’s likely irrelevant now. I think everyone with rot is dead

4:34 Adolf S.: and write a persuasive book on how what we did was totally right and justified, and that we’re actually heros ps. give me gold

4:34 Joush M.: Bomrek is going to go on a book tour around collages talking about his book, fall in love with an elf whore, lose all his money and have to go back to working as a mercenary

4:35 Ken (GM): PPA: she gets to rework her life after losing 84 points worth of pact-limited powers

4:35 P.P. A.: hah Suðri’d be willing to take her in when he goes hermit, if she doesn’t have any place to go,; a hand to help with things that aren’t 24/7 autistic dwarven things would be welcome

4:35 Ken (GM): I smell sitcom! you just need a nosy human neighbor!

4:36 Doc: And elf and a dwarf? How ZANY

4:36 Fiss: omg….
Ken…

4:36 Joush M.: Given they will be reporting/operateing out of Grayhold or Oakway for a while they could all rent or buy a house together for the time while things get settled and any new gear they order is prepared

4:36 Ken (GM): ?

4:36 Fiss: Can Syviis take Extra Attack?

4:36 Joush M.: And of course, Bom writes his book and drinks himself crazy

4:37 Adolf S.: I imagine Dwarven society would look rather kindly to our actions. The threat is stopped. The loss of Dwarven life was not insignificant, but the human army was also quite heavily chopped up, as were some portion of Elves. So not only were the beastmen stopped, the potential human encroachment was also made less likely.

4:37 Fiss: and would it allow 2 arrow’ed?

4:37 Ken (GM): Fiss, that way lies madness; but sure

4:37 P.P. A.: (would actually be in-character since she’s the most immediate victim of the catastrophe that’s actually alive, so he’d feel responsible for her somewhat; and if he was allowed to hermit all alone he’d probably forget eating all the time because there are statues to be carved etc.)

4:37 Ken (GM): buy it at -20% “bows only” but sure. Youre a heroic archer

4:37 Fiss: FUCKIN SOLD.

4:38 Ken (GM): I thin kthe tagline for chapter 4 will be “What evil lurks in the hearts of Elves”

4:38 P.P. A.: if the dorfs would receive Suðri kindly he’d be more than happy to help build as many monuments to the fallen as need be

4:38 Doc: Gonna buy Combat Reflexes, I think

4:38 Fiss: Combat Reflexes is always nice

4:38 Ken (GM): update your shiznit, email me the sheets, we’ll go from there. Ill send you guys some time warp backstory

4:39 Fiss: Cool.

4:39 P.P. A.: all right

4:39 Adolf S.: I wonder what race has the most advanced book making at this point.
Clearly not the Elves.
or the Beastmen.

4:39 Joush M.: Weirdly, it’s the spider people
We just haven’t met any yet
But damn, they have some great adhesives for book binding

4:40 Adolf S.: Well I guess Bomrek will just have to contact them on the web

4:40 Doc: pls

4:40 Adolf S.: Every day until you like it, ‘Doc.

4:40 Joush M.: I can’t afford Extra Attack and Ambidextery yet

4:41 P.P. A.: I’ll use the opportunity to generally overhaul Suðri’s sheet, both with fluff and with additional combat features

4:41 Doc: Rod has Ambidexterity but Extra Attack isn’t probably going to be worth it

4:42 P.P. A.: I never looked into Techniques before, for example

4:42 Joush M.: Good luck man. Ask any questions you have on the discord

4:42 P.P. A.: some talents for stoneworking/architecture-related skills would also be good
thanks

4:42 Adolf S.: We have a discord?
Not for this game we don’t, I think.

4:42 P.P. A.: no, but I met Joush in the discord of another /tg/ GURPS campaign

4:43 Joush M.: Or on 4chan. GURPSGEN could use more to focus on that isn’t people being assholes

4:43 P.P. A.: true

4:43 Doc: if we’re all on discord we might want to make a server for this game

4:43 Joush M.: Ahhh.. Yeah, I guess we don’t have a discord for this

4:43 Adolf S.: Agreed.
Get to it doc-kun.

4:43 Joush M.: That wouden’t be a bad idea Doc

4:43 Doc: I’m about to go for a walk so I’ll get to it later
Probably bounce it off Ken to see if he wants to do it

4:44 Fiss: o/ later folks. Feel free to add me too if you set it up

4:44 Joush M.: Later!

4:44 Doc: o/

4:44 P.P. A.: See you

 

4:45 Adolf S.: Bye