Session 26 Part Two!

Aghast at the sight of icy boulders smashing into the defenses and gouts of flames spurting up from walled stations and hearing the cries of the wounded, the PC’s hurriedly went towards Helios from another front vantage point hoping to draw off some of the frost giants.  From a high windswept ridge, a large frost giant’s silhouetted form alongside a mammoth could be discerned surveying the battlefield chaos below.  The aliens maneuvered with the PC’s as they cut down a smaller frost giant en route to a gap in the city’s walls.  Shouting to alert the remaining sentries of who they were, the PC’s were then informed of what had transpired in the raiding assault and where Helios stood.  As stratagems were devised, one of the PC’s recalled the cylindrical tubes as well as some of the strange metals from a different crash site the PC’s unearthed a while ago.  Struck with inspiration, the PC’s then showed the alien’s the tubes as well as brought some of the foreign metallic substances.  The aliens then grew frantically delirious with excitement and the telepathic communication bursting across synapses revealed talks about symbiotic relations and melding of organic and metallic substances to create a seemingly homogenous mixture of the two in the form of the alien creatures.  The PC’s allowed the creatures to interact with the metallic tubes and what they brought back from the other crash site.  The aliens began a swift transmogrification into one being, something that looked like a living metallic colossus as all the metals, aliens and substances were merged into one functioning being that was the same height as the tallest of the frost giants the PC’s ever faced!  Now, the communication was strong and forceful as the colossus turned to the breaches in the walls where some frost giants were clambering in from and took off at a loping run towards the invaders.

The PC’s took courage at their new ally’s actions and they too wen

Boy, I'm amazed... we just finished session 27 not too long ago.  Loving reading the write-ups.  I don't know that I'll hit 100 sessions.  Granted, I don't know how long yours are as ours are at a minimum three and a half hours and the maximum has been around eight hours.  But, I still have plenty of story yet.  I'm hoping to hit at least 50.  Great work Eli!  Keep posting!

Session 25 Part One!

In the frosty aftermath of the last excursion, the PC’s huddled in the warmth that Helios offered, such as it was. During this time, the cleric divined an omen asking Apollo to send a sign when the red moon is right to confer information to the paladin about a future event. A vision manifested showing a dreary castle and woe-begotten courtyard fallen to disuse. The vision carried on as if by a raven’s eye lifted upward to one of the towers that glowed with a crimson light revealing a tall, gaunt and well-dressed figure looking out into the courtyard with a red orb on an ornate stand behind him that glowed as if a furious storm brewed inside the sphere. The two discerned this was a location far northeast of their current locale. As they pondered what the vision could mean, a thunderous noise erupted as an avalanche happened sending living beings scurrying for shelter and out of the way of the oncoming wave of snow and ice. Next, a pallid green glow began spreading around the town from quite a distance encasing it like some sort of dome closing it off from the outside environs. From beyond the glow which appeared to kill animals that had the misfortune of being in its path, the clamor of hoofbeats, battle cries and harsh chaotic music filled the air. It looked like a poisonous noxious dome that threatened to close off and kill those trapped within. Wasting no time, the PC’s hurriedly rushed to try to get to the source of the green gaseous haze.

The avalanche had blasted and scoured the snow and ice shelfs and left behind cold stone which had ominous pillars like smaller obelisks as well as roughly carved statues of people standing around depicting various stages of grief. A bridge was spotted that spanned over a previously covered ravine and it went into the greenish substance. At the foot of the bridge was what appeared to be missing stone slabs that were forcibly removed from their resting place. The ranger and barbarian saw three distin

Session 24 part one!

A couple of weeks crept by of the long maddening darkness over Hyperborea. The vigilant watch was stalwart in waiting for the arrival of Harald Evendaeren and his tribe of frost giants, but they never arrived. Hunting parties were sent out to get game to replenish the foodstuffs of Helios. On one strange day, a bluish-white borealis could be seen shimmering in the skies and reflecting on the snowy ground below. Shortly after that day, a hunting party led by a youngish fellow named Joran came back empty handed and bearing wounds. The PC’s were summoned to hear his tale and all but the bard and cleric heeded the messengers and arrived to hear about the gashes and torn flesh Joran and company had sustained. He told of how they were hunting large reindeer when bursting forth from the ground was a large worm of massive length and girth that swallowed whole reindeer and turned its attention to him and his party. They tried fighting but could barely pierce the creature as it ate some of the hunters. Fleeing in fright, they trekked back to Helios to warn about not only the worm but a mysterious emanation of a blue-white polyhedral shape they had seen floating about. They were unsure of what it was, but felt it best to report that a larger predator had been attacking the reindeer herds. The ice lord, paladin, ranger, barbarian and runegraver agreed to make an excursion to the snowy wilds as it seemed this was the “spawn of Ymir” based upon Joran’s vivid recollections of the grayish white carapace like body, pincers and jutting misshapen teeth and horrendous writhing movements it made while gruesomely chewing and swallowing its prey. Blood running in rivulets and then slowly freezing around the irregularly shaped orifice gave it an even more menacing look against the darkness all around. After restocking from their last adventure in the frozen wilds, the PC’s left the confines of Helios again to track and slay the fearsome worm that was threate

Session 22 part two!

Upon entering the caves and traversing forward, the PC's soon saw three different ways to proceed.  One, the main trajectory of the comet that had struck this area so long ago and smaller side passageways.  Dry webs encased each area and the dust and decay showed things had not moved here in a long time.  The PC's nonchalantly struck a forward route only to notice the webbing starting to move.  Spiders, creepy and mottled scuttled about.  Most the size of large dogs.  Long legs with bristly hair and penetrating eyes above pincers and an orifice that could generously be called a mouth these frightening eight legged things moved in from the ceiling, the floor and through the webs meant to waylay the unwary!  The PC's who by now after much battle hardened experience together had fallen into a familiar fighting/spell casting routine showcased their burgeoning mastery of working together and supporting those who were waylaid slaughtered the numerous spiders leaving behind grim ichor-like remains of a gutsy liquid and legs to spatter around the surrounding cave complex.  In the battle, webs were cut away but the temptation to follow less obvious paths was something the PC's did not give into.  Except the ice lord who traversed down a wider left tunnel and saw something with large appendages and a maw of horrors that promptly tore into his armor, wounding him almost to death!  The PC's adjusted from one fight to the next as the cleric quickly healed his downed ally.  Furious blows of strength were needed to smash through that thick outer carapace of this nightmare creature with legs like a spider, exoskeleton that looked like a beetle and a protrusion of a head that looked like acid had misshapen it's eyes and mouth to reveal limp tentacle like stringy attachments and teeth by it's gnashing mouth like orifice!  It's sheer strength dealt punishing blows to the PC's but again they were victorious as they slew this forgotten marvel of the underworld.  Wa

Session 21, part two!

Trudging on in the frigid cold with the snowpack crunching beneath heavy furred boots, the PC’s made their way up north and east from the gates of Helios following the wolf that loped on ahead of them. After a long march amidst the biting snowflakes with no stars peeking through the blanket of the darkened sky, the wolf turned back with an agitated sense in its normally confident stride. Viewing the white terrain amidst the dark sky showed a very large moving shadowy creature that appeared to be wandering aimlessly. The ranger and barbarian scouted out ahead while the rest of the PC’s hunkered down for warmth and to await word from the intrepid scouting duo. As the two crept closer, they realized what it was: a fearsome tyrannosaurus rex! However something was off about the creature. No breath issued forth, flesh was frozen stiff and cracking in its jerky, staggering gait and small chunks of flesh would fall off as the musculature over the bones broke in the movement. The teeth bared frozen through thin strips of skin and scales and the hollow eyes bore a dull yellowish quivering and slightly freezing liquid. This thing was undead! Making their way back to the others, a plan was carefully laid out to use the terrain and lure it into a trap where the PC’s could then battle the un-living monstrosity. They carefully set out to waylay the creature. Once the interminable time period had passed when the creature at last ambled into the position they wanted, the surprise attacks both melee and missile followed by spells slammed into the undead T-Rex. At once slowed as blade and arrow and other spells slammed it, the creature extended its claws and opened its jaws to strike. In the very next round upon winning the initiative, the PC’s unleashed a flurry of violence that I have not seen in the campaign yet! (In game terms, the ranger, paladin and barbarian had natural 20’s come up resulting in double or triple damage. The ice lord’s spell d

Thanks for the kind words Rob! I've been amiss about updating this, so here goes from my notes and memory: Session 20 pt. 2.

Leaving the temple and tromping through the piling snowdrifts, the PC's made their way down the treacherous descent.  Winds howled, flakes swirled and stung as one foot trod in front of the other in a weary procession down.  Daylight only showed its presence in perhaps an hour as a cruel taunt as night was engulfing the PC's in snow, cold, shadows and death.  Espying a cave that perhaps shelter could be sought, the PC's then warily entered in as a roof and some stone walls could provide shelter from the bitter wind's bite and provide respite from the snow.  As they began to shake off flakes and built up ice crusts around hastily wound scarves, a series of icy crustaceans as well as spidery forms bearing hideous human faces distorted into grimaces and curled back lips hurriedly descended and assaulted them!  A battle scrum ensued with the PC's being able to slay those fell creatures and then being able to descend into a kind of sleep where no dreams dared enter into due to utter fatigue.

Waking into darkness, the trek downslope continued.  This time, as it seemed lights could be seen on the far horizon, pace was quickened.  The hammering/thumping sound earlier was still heard and somewhat closer.  After traversing another almost mile, a mammoth bearing a frost giant came into view along with another frost giant!  Since the white environment provided no such hiding place, they met to melee.  Talk was eschewed as brutality and death was on the minds of the giants.  Some quickly spoken spellcasting on the part of the ice lord was able to hold both giants as to the paladin and cleric's mind it seemed Apollo was smiling on the encounter.  The mammoth ran like an unruly creature whom the bard showing off his dextrous acrobatics was able to leap from from the mammoth to the upper torso of a held frost giant.  Administering some "coup de

Backed in the first few minutes.  In for the Kitchen Sink, a new weapon for the bartender NPC subclass featured in the book.  Actually, that last part is not true.  I made the subclass up.  Either way, I'm excited and looking forward to this very much!

Session 20 part one!  After the storm had abated, the PC's had decided to go back to the Repository of Illysaes, as they knew they were close by.  The ice lord wanted to purchase a tome and the others were easily persuaded as shelter would be had and in that timeless zone, hunger would not be a factor.  Making their way there the coin they found granted them access.  Whilst the ice lord studied his tome, the paladin continued his read of Dionysius' Daemonicon and the runegraver looked up remedies for the ill effects of the "Mead-saki" his alcoholic beverage that induced a berserker like state upon those who quaffed said drink.  Also the tools they found in the past belonging to a being called "Baba Yaga" were investigated.  In a pocket plane where time had no meaning they reconvened with the spirit of Illysaes, saw the snake people again who shunned them vociferously.  The female bard taunted them with jibes and such and was still unwilling to leave the repository as a kind of prolonged life was there.  After the paladin developed a sense of urgency about Helios they departed.  After all time flowed differently here.  Upon leaving, the snowdrifts were higher, the dead of the winter was at hand.  With a sinking feeling of dread, potentially a year or more had passed in the outside world while they lingered.  What had changed?  Uncertainty grew, as well as the fact that while in the repository they did not need to eat, but now they did.  Game was scarce in the frozen wastes.  Descending the mountainous terrain, in the cold nightscape, they heard voices.  One clearly reasoned, the other sounded like the ravings of a madman.  Soon the paladin found a kindred follower of Apollo as a cleric was of that order (a friend from out of state joined for a one shot session!).  The babblings of the shamanic weird one were of a heathen that the cleric hoped to evangelize to the light of Apollo.  After exchanging pleasantries, soon the ground began to shake with p

Ghul wrote:

mavfire wrote:

Super excited, and being that I have some inside looks, I am of the mind that 3E will be the best edition. Ghul has promised to add GNOMES too... Cant wait!

I am hard at work on my portion of this thing and I am anxious to have you all see what we have cooked up for you this go around. 

I told you not to mention the gnomes. It was supposed to be a surprise! What's next, you'll tell them all about our new skills and feats chapters, with feat combinations that allow one to play a 1/3 gnome, 1/3 Amazon, 1/3 gelatinous cube paladin/illusionist prestige class robot/psionicist?  
 

 
I'm now very excited.  I cannot wait to play my 1/3 Amazon, 1/3 mammoth and my 1/3 thew waggon PC mysteriously colored as the Scooby Doo Mystery machine with tusks and Amazonian spear maiden that looks like Daphne... wait, wrong game. 

Thanks for the humor Ghul!  Can't wait to back this however it turns out.