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3/30/2020 9:29 pm  #2641


Re: The Scorched Sanctuary

The Kraken continues to play tricks on the Barbarian’s mind, but Kondor ignores the vision, what say the Cleric?

Last edited by Iron Ranger (3/30/2020 10:37 pm)


 
 

3/31/2020 11:52 am  #2642


Re: The Scorched Sanctuary

fireinthedust wrote:

"Shall we head to the battle, then? To see if this bless'd water of yours will undo the spell upon that doorway?"

Ref, does this mean that Gundrabu has completed his ritual?


“Our own age is not one which can afford to call its ancestors savage.” 
― Poul AndersonThe Broken Sword
 

3/31/2020 12:07 pm  #2643


Re: The Scorched Sanctuary

Yes, an hour has passed, Bless wore off Kondor 30 mins ago while Omen swirled inside the barbarian's head, but he chose to ignore its portent, and the phial is now filled with the salty brine of Gundrabu's master.

Last edited by Iron Ranger (3/31/2020 12:16 pm)


 
     Thread Starter
 

3/31/2020 1:25 pm  #2644


Re: The Scorched Sanctuary

“It is time, Kondor. Let us remove all our belongings out of last night’s camp back to the room of arcane fire.”


“Our own age is not one which can afford to call its ancestors savage.” 
― Poul AndersonThe Broken Sword
 

4/03/2020 10:28 am  #2645


Re: The Scorched Sanctuary

Wait why did we wait an hour after casting the spell?  And I don’t understand what the omen was vs the strange sensation of Cthulhu. Did I just lose sanity?!
Also, the salty brine in a cup? Did... did... should we turn it in to a fertility clinic? Lol.

 

4/03/2020 10:39 am  #2646


Re: The Scorched Sanctuary

fireinthedust wrote:

Wait why did we wait an hour after casting the spell? And I don’t understand what the omen was vs the strange sensation of Cthulhu. Did I just lose sanity?!
Also, the salty brine in a cup? Did... did... should we turn it in to a fertility clinic? Lol.

See #2635

Gundrabu cast Bless upon Kondor for assistance in guarding the door while he began the ritual for Bless Water, which takes an hour. He also cast Omen on the barbarian -- Of course Kondor is not used to these magical thoughts swirling in his head. He initially considered the vision a reaction to bad magic gruel, but the image continues to vex him.
And the salty brine is Kraken's gift into the phial hidden inside the hilt of Gundrabu's Dagger +2, Venom.

Last edited by Iron Ranger (4/03/2020 10:39 am)


 
     Thread Starter
 

4/03/2020 9:06 pm  #2647


Re: The Scorched Sanctuary

[We’re all speaking poetically—our words are like “kennings” out of Old Norse verse.]

So we gather our things and head back to the room with the magic fire. Mission accomplished!

[I’m happy you seem alright, fireinthedust. Did you have the virus? My 22-year-old daughter, working grocery in Wisconsin, got it, but she’s recovering just fine.]


“Our own age is not one which can afford to call its ancestors savage.” 
― Poul AndersonThe Broken Sword
 

4/03/2020 9:18 pm  #2648


Re: The Scorched Sanctuary

[So glad everyone is okay and I hope that the Sorcerer just didn't like the game and not something else!]

The vision that plagues the Barbarian is this:

He holds the side of a wooden canoe for balance in the pitching rapid. It is dark, but lamplight comes from behind, splashing the glistening rock walls of an underground cave. Over his shoulder in a second canoe rides the Esquimeaux, he holds a lantern high in one hand and points into the darkness ahead. He yells something over and over but his voice is drowned by the rushing cascade...


 
     Thread Starter
 

4/04/2020 8:16 am  #2649


Re: The Scorched Sanctuary

Iron Ranger wrote:

[So glad everyone is okay and I hope that the Sorcerer just didn't like the game and not something else!]

The vision that plagues the Barbarian is this:

He holds the side of a wooden canoe for balance in the pitching rapid. It is dark, but lamplight comes from behind, splashing the glistening rock walls of an underground cave. Over his shoulder in a second canoe rides the Esquimeaux, he holds a lantern high in one hand and points into the darkness ahead. He yells something over and over but his voice is drowned by the rushing cascade...

😍


“Our own age is not one which can afford to call its ancestors savage.” 
― Poul AndersonThe Broken Sword
 

4/04/2020 3:51 pm  #2650


Re: The Scorched Sanctuary

ooc: I got sick earlier in this thing, was tested but they didn't find anything. Lots of real life distraction, losing sense of time, working on a few things. Having the mental energy to respond to things has been hard. Last few days have been better, actually, and today is just great.
Aside:  I just finished playing a game DCC rpg on Roll20, which is a pretty good medium for online games!  The map space needs to be larger, and as a player I don't think I could change the size while the GM had no idea. Still, lots of fun. 


In character:
Kondor goes with Gundrabu to the other campsite, bringing their things.  He prepares for the battle ahead, assuming that it could come quickly and fierce if the cleric can open the door.

 

4/05/2020 10:32 pm  #2651


Re: The Scorched Sanctuary

Iron Ranger wrote:

[So glad everyone is okay and I hope that the Sorcerer just didn't like the game and not something else!]

The vision that plagues the Barbarian is this:

He holds the side of a wooden canoe for balance in the pitching rapid. It is dark, but lamplight comes from behind, splashing the glistening rock walls of an underground cave. Over his shoulder in a second canoe rides the Esquimeaux, he holds a lantern high in one hand and points into the darkness ahead. He yells something over and over but his voice is drowned by the rushing cascade...

That’s what Kondor saw while waiting for Gundrabu to finish?  Is it from the Omen spell?

Great vision, btw. Reminds me of the cool scene that Emral saw in the chapel. I wish I could have kept exploring that, too!

 

4/06/2020 8:59 am  #2652


Re: The Scorched Sanctuary

Kondor doesn't know why the scene swirls in his thoughts. He has never had the memory of a dream return not upon waking but well once his fast is broken -- especially one he cannot cast aside easily...He doesn't like being a victim of this sorcerous Esquimeaux's rituals...


 
     Thread Starter
 

4/06/2020 1:02 pm  #2653


Re: The Scorched Sanctuary

Is this game in abeyance, waiting for a definitive action? I imagine that Gundrabu and Kondor, together, gather all of their leftover provisions from the night camp, then retrace their steps to the previous camp.

(I’m having difficulty remembering what to call that structure—the one with the magical firelight on the door, the one with the burned books and incense sticks.)


“Our own age is not one which can afford to call its ancestors savage.” 
― Poul AndersonThe Broken Sword
 

4/06/2020 1:17 pm  #2654


Re: The Scorched Sanctuary

Eirvit wrote:

Is this game in abeyance, waiting for a definitive action? I imagine that Gundrabu and Kondor, together, gather all of their leftover provisions from the night camp, then retrace their steps to the previous camp.

OODM: Ha! No, but because we aren't a live game, I usually try to give everyone a good long second chance to remember something, or notice a big fat clue, or try something different, without saying "Does anyone want to do anything else before 'X,Y,or Z'?" I just hate when my DM does it at the table , feels very leading...

Eirvit wrote:

(I’m having difficulty remembering what to call that structure—the one with the magical firelight on the door, the one with the burned books and incense sticks.)

Though the Esquimeaux only glanced at the rough map of the Barbarian's fallen acquaintance Emral of the unknown space behind the wooden door next to the Kitchen's fireplace,

and having not ventured beyond the door which know holds the crackling electrical fire to know its contents,

he believes the strange room with the burned books, the overturned mattress, spilled metal bowl and incense sticks, hanging Picts and slain wolves,

to be the living quarters of the sanctuary's priest.




 


 
     Thread Starter
 

4/06/2020 6:33 pm  #2655


Re: The Scorched Sanctuary

All ooc:

Ugh! I hate the idea that I’m missing something obvious. It’s maddening—MADDENING, I say!

I know what you mean. Right now I’m running an online Conan 2d20 game. Two players have been trying to get a boat by which to get to a pirate ship. On the banks of the Thunder River, they ran into a group of Picts, killed them all, and now I expect they intend to merrily go traveling on by the two cleverly concealed canoes.

Before they do, I’m prepared to give them each a roll—without the chance for Momentum (if you know that system at all)—to at least stumble on the very thing they have been looking for and what naturally should be there!


“Our own age is not one which can afford to call its ancestors savage.” 
― Poul AndersonThe Broken Sword
 

4/06/2020 6:43 pm  #2656


Re: The Scorched Sanctuary

Eirvit wrote:

All ooc:

Ugh! I hate the idea that I’m missing something obvious. It’s maddening—MADDENING, I say!

I know what you mean. Right now I’m running an online Conan 2d20 game. Two players have been trying to get a boat by which to get to a pirate ship. On the banks of the Thunder River, they ran into a group of Picts, killed them all, and now I expect they intend to merrily go traveling on by the two cleverly concealed canoes.

Before they do, I’m prepared to give them each a roll—without the chance for Momentum (if you know that system at all)—to at least stumble on the very thing they have been looking for and what naturally should be there!

Ha! I say just let them walk!
Just like Gundrabu and Kondor do, with all their gear, back out into the frigid death awaiting them!


 
     Thread Starter
 

4/07/2020 11:08 am  #2657


Re: The Scorched Sanctuary

Conan PCs:  Yeah, tough call. The question is whether you've given the players enough material that the players can reasonably have a chance to guess there's canoes hidden nearby.  With the Picts in the area would the canoes have been hidden the way they would if the Picts were about to leave them behind?  Are any of the characters trackers/hunters, or familiar with the ways of the Picts the way Conan was in the story? And if none of them are, did you as the GM describe something for the players to search when you described the location?  
For this game my issue is likely proximity blindness:   I've been seeing the same locations for... two years now? Plus Kondor cannot use sorcery, so he wouldn't know what to do with materials in the room (ie: priestly incense, bowls, etc.). Additionally, I've got two characters with different experiences, and trying to compartmentalize the bits of information has been a focus. 

    Which is a nice way of saying I have no idea!

THOUGHT PROCESS RIGHT NOW
I'm not sure what Kondor would be able to do with this aspect of the story, y'know? He doesn't use magic, so if that's the only way to open that door, I'm not sure.
     I as a player discounted the wine cellar, but that's because the round room where Emral found the monk with the ring of warmth was described as not having any apparent additional doors - and that monk/acolyte had starved to death hiding from the undead children, meaning there wouldn't have been another exit.   The third entrance to the basement was through the dais pool, which caved in with Emral & Malak, so we moved on from there.
          Sol, the arcane trickster who vanished before we lost Tetranna, had the boots of spider climb with him. so it can't be about climbing up and around or we're stuck.
     We'd also looked over the burned books, and only found hymns to Borias. The Picts had poison phials, weapons, and we checked the roof for treasure. Malak had the magic hood on him, which may have been found by Igrest, who is now gone with the ring of warmth. Tetranna disappeared, in theory down the well but we froze before we could get down there, and seemed like we'd die if we tried.

 

4/07/2020 3:24 pm  #2658


Re: The Scorched Sanctuary

Last bit about my Conan PCs: They searched! And found the canoes! I want to go on about the situation and game philosophy, but I’ll relent. 😁

I have a sense that our characters are walking away from something *now*. I don’t think it’s necessarily something we’re not understanding about the Room of Burned Books, though it seems likely that we’re supposed to revisit the Wine Cellar.

I say we stick with our plan. It’s all we can do. I think the nature of this game is that we just keep scratching until we get it.

Or we die, our fingers eroded to bloody nubs.


“Our own age is not one which can afford to call its ancestors savage.” 
― Poul AndersonThe Broken Sword
 

4/07/2020 3:28 pm  #2659


Re: The Scorched Sanctuary

Kondor and Gundrabu gather their things and the few firewoods remaining from the Kitchen and head out through the main sanctuary doors. Immediately they see distant flames way off in the densely wooded hills to the east.

Kondor +100 XP
Gundrabu +100 XP 
for much needed contemplative thoughts!

Last edited by Iron Ranger (4/07/2020 3:29 pm)


 
     Thread Starter
 

4/07/2020 4:11 pm  #2660


Re: The Scorched Sanctuary

Iron Ranger wrote:

Kondor and Gundrabu gather their things and the few firewoods remaining from the Kitchen and head out through the main sanctuary doors. Immediately they see distant flames way off in the densely wooded hills to the east.

Kondor +100 XP
Gundrabu +100 XP 
for much needed contemplative thoughts!

I’m not at the map but I believe that was beyond the cemetery and to the well where we lost tetranna.  Correct?

If so, Kondor will head over to investigate, cautiously.

 

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