# City of Doors, City of Lies - Planescape



## Ruined (Jan 21, 2002)

City of Doors, City of Lies 

This ongoing post revolves around my long-term (approaching six year) Planescape campaign. This was my third foray into the PS setting, and obviously my most successful. 

The characters initially gathered together as an assembled team, working under a mercenary organization known as the Fiery Blades. The Blades are a retired adventuring party who have found a successful way to earn a living in the relatively stable environment of Sigil. They hire on factioneers who are not so embroiled in their faction agenda, ones who need to earn their keep. 

The gathered cast of characters is an interesting one. They are not a ‘good’ party, but I hesitate to call them evil (as a whole at least). Honor means little to them, but loyalty is everything. They accomplish many good deeds, simply for the fact that someone needs to do them and the alternative is usually too heinious to consider. Usually they find a way to have their motivations coincide with what needs to be done  (ie. How much are you paying us?) 

The group is based out of Sigil, the City of Doors, with travel on the planes occupying between 30 and 40 per cent of the game. The game is heavy into plotting and interaction with NPCs. Factional viewpoints are very important, but philosophy is not as prevalent as I have seen in some games. 

*** SPOILER NOTE *** 

I use printed material for my Planescape campaign, including modules and DM sourcebooks.  I usually modify the material a great deal to mesh with my game, but in reading these notes, you may ruin some surprises if you intend to play Planescape. I for one, love to be shocked and in suspense in games, so if you’re like me and don’t want to ruin the surprise (albeit a five or six-year old surprise), stop reading. There’s plenty of great original material available on this board already. 

Modules used include: 
The Eternal Boundary 
Well of Worlds (partial) 
Planes of Conflict insert 
Into the Abyss 
For Duty & Deity (partial) 
Tales From the Infinite Staircase (partial) 
The Great Modron March 
Dead Gods 
Something Wild (upcoming) 
Fires of Dis (upcoming) 
Faction War (upcoming) 

Also used are several NPCs and plothooks out of: 
The Factol’s Manifesto 
Uncaged: Faces of Sigil 
Online Resources such as the Mimir 

*** END SPOILER NOTE ***


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## Ruined (Jan 21, 2002)

Cast of Characters 

In order of introduction, here are the players characters at their current levels or last levels before leaving: 

Tira Mythrilspear – Female Human Fighter 8 - Transcendant Order 

     Tira is a human female with tanned skin and long, raven hair (think Native American descent). She hails from the Outlands city of Faunel, the gate-town to the Beastlands. She lived in Sigil for a little over a year before meeting the group, learning the precepts of her faction and performing menial tasks assigned to namers like her. Tira is usually found with either her bow and arrows or a number of short spears strapped to her back. 

Killian Darkweaver – Male Drow Rogue 9 – Doomguard 

     Killian is a mean-spirited Drow elf that hails from the gate-town of Curst, and before that the plane of Carceri. His people are a colony of Vhaerun worshippers, those who chose to worship a male god instead of the matriarchal following of Lloth. He quickly learned the ways of treachery and theft to support himself. He entered the city of doors a few years before, and found a place where he could belong. Soon he learned of the Doomguard’s philosophy, and it fit him naturally. Killian bears an athletic build, with grey eyes and silver hair (which is frequently dyed). Killian’s weapon of choice is currently a Salt Blade short sword, given to him by his faction. 

Quinn Blackhorne – Male Minotaur Fighter 8 – Xaositects 

     Quinn, the Minotaur, was raised by two hag sisters that came to Sigil fifteen years ago. They established a bar called Crone’s with a secret pit-fighting arena below the building. Quinn helped them and learned the arts of fighting and showmanship over the years. His inherent chaotic nature surfaced, and it was easy for him to fit into the ranks of the Xaositects. Quinn has cloven hooves, and with horns he stands an impressive nine-foot in heighth. His fur is dark brown and his large horns are ebony black, one of which has been painted with a mural by Tira. 

Kesdran Astahl – Male Tiefling Wizard 4 – Doomguard 

     Kesdran is a tiefling member of the Doomguard. He grew up in the Cage with relatively little knowledge of his family. Taken in by a wizard needing an apprentice to help maintain his household, he grew up learning bits and pieces of magic. Once his time came to leave, he wandered out and sought the faction that appealed to him most – the Doomguard. Kesdran ran across the Fiery Blades early in his career and signed up with them for a chance to earn some extra jink. 

Cross – Male Human Fighter 4 – Believers of the Source 

     Cross is a man who fell into a particularly bad sequence of events. He became amorous with a woman who was taken, and her Guvner husband found out. Using the system against him, Cross was framed and sent to the Prison. From there, he was relocated out to one of the Mercykiller’s secret encampments in Carceri. Along with the help of others, Cross did the impossible and escaped from his confinement. Forced to travel the Planes for a year, he eventually made his way back to Sigil where he has taken on a new identity as a Prime without a faction. 

Slim – Male Tiefling Wild Mage 7 – Fated 

     Slim is a tall, particularly thin tiefling with dark green skin and no hair. He found work in Sigil easily, working for the Planar Trade Consortium. His factional choice was the Fated, as their aggressive style matched his personality. After a series of jobs, he went to have a discussion with one of the merchant lords of the organization. It turned out that there was a new task for Slim, to join with a group called the Fiery Blades and see what he could learn from them. Slim wears light robes, but makes no moves to disguise his heritage from others. 

Scar – Male Skaven Cleric 6 / Wizard 1 – Dustmen 

     Scar is a skaven, a race of rat-like humanoids hailing from an unnamed Prime world. Following guidance from his lord, the Great Horned Rat, Scar travelled through a portal that led him into Sigil. This was a new place for him to spread the word and the will of his deity. To assist him, he enlisted with the Dustmen, embracing their interests in Death and Unlife. Still he found work within the faction to bore him, so he enlisted with the Fiery Blades as a chance to gain more insight about the planes. 

DM’s note:  An odd grouping, as you’ll find out. You will see that I occasionally borrow from other game worlds or literature, such as Scar’s race. The player and I both liked the race of rat-men from Warhammer, so I allowed him to play one. So far, I’m very happy I did. Planescape is a crossroads, and to that extent I believe you can find all races there, some rarer than others. I feel that it adds to that intriguing, otherworldly feel.


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## Ruined (Jan 21, 2002)

The Year of the Broken Wheel 
Spar 11th  [ Day 1 ] 

[ DM’s note:  This is a variation of the module ‘To Baator and Back’ from Well of Worlds and ‘Hot Time in Darkspine’ from the Planes of Law boxed set. I would have prepared a well-crafted, homespun entrance into the campaign, but the game was a last-minute idea we put together. ] 

The tale begins, surprisingly enough, in a backwater town on an unknown Prime world. We see a young woman enter the Grumpy Goat, a local tavern. She blends with the populace, being tan-skinned with straight dark hair. She has a bow and arrow with her, which draws a few looks but no one is terribly concerned. They have other matters to gossip about. 

Such as the figure that’s been seated in the corner for the past two hours. The barmaid has seen nothing but the odd traveller’s cloak and gloves. He paid for his drinks with local silver coins, but everyone in the bar knew he was an outsider. The female notes the mysterious figure in the back and moves to sit at his table. 

The female is named Tira. She has been in the town for a matter of days, learning the lay of the land and picking up pieces of chant here and there. The cloaked figure is named Killian Darkweaver. She alone knows why he is cloaked – no one in this town had likely ever seen an elf, let alone a black-skinned Drow. Their plan has been for her to find as much information as possible, and when he arrives, they would act on it. Their mutual ‘mission’ is to locate a magical item, a spoon, that had been held by a wizard here. Tira has a good idea of where they need to look. 

Leaving the tavern, they have more freedom to speak. Tira had found no information regarding a magical spoon, but other news interested her. One of the local farmboys had gone missing the day she arrived, and had not returned. She had spoken to a friend of his and learned that they used to play out by an old ramshackle building an hour’s walk away from town. He spoke of some odd things that happened around the building. So the two of them head out of the town and to this building. 

Amongst overgrown grass, they find a dilapidated building that could be over a hundred years old. Everything is quiet, so the two carefully investigate. Killian throws back his hood, revealing lengthy, silver hair. From under the cloak, he draws a short sword, just in case. Tira has a spear that she retrieved from her room. They move through the ancient house, splitting up to check different rooms. Within, there is no sign of the boy that disappeared earlier.  

Tira finds a closet from which she can hear shuffling movement. She opens the door and finds two bizarre forms emerging – Demons! She stabs one of the lemures, then retreats a few steps before skewering the other. She calls out to Killian, but there is no answer. 

While she was checking the closet, Killian entered another room where paper and great amounts of dust coated the floor. As he disturbs the dust, it begins to rise and rotate around the room, revealing an inscribed circle on the wood beneath. As Killian begins to utter a curse, he is transported out of the room. 

Tira leaves the melting demon corpses and moves through the house to the kitchen. Searching through the cupboards, she does run across a spoon of some note. It is undecorative, but it has no stains or rust on it from over the years. She pockets it and goes to find Killian. She locates the room where he had went and catches a few papers settling. At that instant, she makes her decision and walks in, and is subsequently transported to… 

A blasted landscape under a blood red sky. Baator, the plane of Order and Evil. Once there, they began to meet the natives and brave the hazards of that foul land. They encounter a rude barbazau that guards the portal. They pay him to stay, but he flies up after they’re out of sight. Sensing that he plans to betray them, Tira shoots him down out of the sky.  

Continuing on, they find an old cave with a hut inside. As they approach, they are webbed by a spell by Hexla the witch.  She threatens to burn the webs and them unless they answer her questions. After finding out that they’re not fiends, she releases them and invites them inside. She acts very congenial, and asks them if they could bring her some special ingredients or herbs that could help her transport her way off of this plane. She tells them that they could question the Pillar of Skulls and see if it knows a way for them to leave the plane. After they leave, she sends messages informing the pit fiend Bel of the travellers in his realm.   

They run across and speak with the Pillar of Skulls, the undying heads of sages who betrayed the trust of others. They witness the pillar arguing amongst itself, and different heads trying to make bargains for information. In exchange for information on a portal home, they give it a few books they found in the wizard’s mound. The pillar directs the heroes towards the town of Darkspine. 

Further hazards in Baator include them traversing the River of Blood, and avoiding the marching fiends from Bel’s fortress. Eventually they come to the town of Darkspine. Darkspine is a former Gate-town from the Outlands. It slid over to Baator a while back, but the resistance still fights there to keep the fiends from completely overrunning the town.  The two adventurers are aided by this resistance in escaping the fiends. While waiting in the resistance’s makeshift headquarters, Killian figures out what is so special about the spoon, and uses its ability to produce food for the dwindling supplies of the resistance. They bypass the layer of fiendish guards at the Gate, through and back to the Outlands. In exchange for this help, the two agree to return sometime in the future and see about bringing weapons back to fight with. 

The adventurers weasel their way through Ribcage, the new Gate-town. As they first arrive, they run across a guard and fool him by pretending to be lovers that had hid there to be alone. They talk him up some, and he gives some suggestions about making their way around. They shill out some jink to get the new symbol of the week for Ribcage, so patrols won’t stop and arrest them. Eventually, the two make their way back to Sigil. It’s nighttime when they arrive, so they plan to meet at the ‘workplace’ in the morning.


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## Ruined (Jan 21, 2002)

Spar 12th – [ Day 2 ] 

Killian and Tira meet up at the Exchange, the headquarters for their employers. They both work for an organization known as the Fiery Blades. The Blades are somewhat of a mercenary organization that employs members of various factions to take on jobs ‘out of town’. They go speak to their mutual boss, Felinca. She is a githzerai female, somewhat attractive by human standards (and most likely unattractive by her own race). Felinca sent them on the mission, and she collects the magical spoon that they obtained. After a bit of haggling, she agrees to give them more jink based on their exploits and lets them have free reign for about a week.   

In this time, Killian hooks up with the den of thieves operating from the Blades and works at training for his skills. He is being trained and supervised by a man named Gunther Travestane, one of the original members of the Fiery Blades. Tira also spends some time working at her faction headquarters, learning some new skills.   


Spar 14th – [ Day 4 ] 

Felinca introduces Tira to Quinn Blackhorne, a minotaur. She asks Tira to accompany him around the city, and get used to her new traveling companion. Quinn is an interesting sort: he claims to be a bard, although he occasionally dabbles in pit-fighting. The new pair leaves a message for Killian to meet them at Fortune’s Wheel, one of the ritzier bars in Sigil. Killian bides his time before going, pilfering and pickpocketing in the Grand Bazaar.   

At Fortune’s Wheel, the characters get to know some of the locals, and get a mind for the general setup of the influential tavern. Tira and Quinn lose extensive sums playing the Wheel itself. They listen to the head of the dragon at the Dragon Bar. Killian investigates the wheeling and dealing going on within the card-playing room. Killian also talks to Estrella, the albino elven singer, but doesn’t get too far. After drinking a decent amount, the characters decide to leave to get some food.  

Bad fate takes the characters to a hostile little bar known as the Tenth Pit. Inside, they quickly get an idea of the situation with the tanar’ri on one side and the baatezu on the other. They meet Thal’ralist, the boisterous steam mephit servant, and Cregid, the unfriendly owner. A few insults about mortals are thrown their way and they almost get into a scuffle with some locals, but wisely think against it. After dining on some ‘interesting’ fare, they leave for the night. 

All this time, the characters have been paying attention to a new construction that the Xaositects have been working on in the Lower Ward. They are building a tower, something of a spoke to bridge across the inner expanse of Sigil. [For those who don’t know, Sigil is a city comprised on the inside of a torus, an open doughnut shape] Things look shaky but the Xaositects are dedicated to their work and continue unabated. Quinn talks to a few of the workers, fellow factioneers, and gets an idea of what they plan for the project. 

After an enjoyable evening, the characters head home for the night.


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## Ruined (Jan 21, 2002)

Spar 15th – [ Day 5 ] 

The next day, each of the characters receive a message to meet their boss, Felinca at the Blades’ HQ. After a bit of bargaining, they agree to another extraplanar mission. This one entails traveling to the plane of Arborea in search of a bariaur named Beauregard, a former member of the Fiery Blades. The higher-ups simply want to find out what has happened to him since he still has money pending his return to Sigil. They’ve tried to reach him for a few years, but he has never come back for it. They are to travel to his last-known position, the tree known as Grandfather Oak, and locate this bariaur. 

They are provided with the location of an existing portal that will deposit them a few days from the base of Grandfather Oak. Unfortunately, the dark of the portal is unknown to them. They ask around some and determine that Tivvum’s Antiquities is the shop to go to. Alluvius Ruskin is a small tiefling lady who runs a shop just for portal keys. They meet her and talk of some various things, finding the key that they need, two silver earrings looped together. She helps them out and gauges them as per their magical capabilities. Killian is tempted to lift one or two of the wealth of items that she has in the store, but it seems too easy. Nothing is left that wide open without a defense of some sort.  

With the key taken care of, the group heads for the portal in the Hive Ward. The portal is a doorway upstairs in a tenement that should have long been condemned. After bribing their way past one of the bubbers that makes his home there, they enter the portal and venture into Arborea.  

They arrive within an immense forest, where canopies of trees that block out most of the light. They hear and see the gigantic wildlife that inhabit the area. It takes them two entire days of travel within the forest, where they forage and hunt for their food. During this time, they get to know one another. Quinn tries to entertain them with his lute (that is much too small), and at the start his playing is not too bad. A bit discordant, but not awful. Then he begins to sing and is quickly silenced by his friends. 

“ You’re going to scare the trees away.”


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## Ruined (Jan 21, 2002)

Spar 17th – [ Day 7 ] 

As they travel through this elven realm, they see the wonder of the giant trees and all of nature around them. Quinn is enraptured by the beauty, claiming that he never spent much time in the great outdoors. Soon enough, the group arrives at the town of Grandfather Oak, an enormous treant that houses hundreds of people and plenty of shops.  

In Grandfather Oak, they meet with Trillamir Evensong, a capable elf who acts as a mayor and adjudicator for the town. They check in at the Town Office,  giving their names and some minor information. Killians stays cloaked the entire time, reluctant to display his nature around this village of elves. As they go to find an inn, Killian takes notice of some abandoned buildings on the path. They aren’t boarded up, but they remain undisturbed, filled with dust and cobwebs He recognizes a symbol to be of Drow origin. These buildings were once workshops of Lloth’s followers, but now they are abandoned by the Drow who left this realm. They go to the Strong Branch Inn and get rooms for a nightly basis. 

As darkness descends, Killian moves back out to go investigate the buildings without mentioning it to his friends. As he moves around inside, a portal opens and two twisted variants of elves move into the room from the hearth. They are not dark-skinned Drow like himself; their appearance is more grey and wicked in appearance. They say no words, but their moves are threatening, so he draws his sword. A fight ensues against these warped elves, and he finds himself pressed as more figures emerge through the portal. Small dark fairies fly through the portal, heading outside of the shop and towards the inn.  

Quinn steps outside of the inn, curious about his friend. He sees the ensuing fight, but is struck silly by magicks from a faerie. Tira is beset by the fairies as she has been relaxing with a meal. The faeries fly in casting destructive magicks, and she has a tough time of it. Killian holds his own in the workshop fight, but he notices a  few more of the twisted villains entering the fray.  

After a little time, Quinn frees himself from the enchantment and moves up to help Killian. They both glance over to see Evensong fighting against a dark warrior with a skull helmet, the two evenly matched. Quinn and Killian dispatch the warped elves, followed by Killian moving to help Evensong, Quinn moving to investigate the weaver building. As Quinn enters, he hears chanting and sees an elven mage who entered in after the warriors. He blasts him with a magic missile and immediately prepares to cast another enchantment on him. Luckily for Quinn, the mage’s magic isn’t great enough to overcome him. Quinn lunges forward, trying to snag the mage, but he darts back through the portal.  

Killian moves up to Evensong and tries to backstab the dark knight. He grazes him and earns the knight’s attention. The battle continues, with the two elves getting an upper hand on the armored warrior. The dark knight is heavily wounded and pitched over the side railing, where he plummets to the ground. As he falls, the faeries that are seem to realize that they are doomed and flee. Tira’s bow finds her mark as another flies away. 

The group gathers, studying the situation. There is an awkwardness between Trillamir and Killian, with Killian being drow. Many thanks are given, and they make arrangements to find Beauregard, the original purpose of his visit. Quinn wants them to check the portal, and when they do, two drow elves in blackened armor step through, hauling the body of the mage. They explain that the portal led to their realm, and that these mockeries from the Unseelie Court had slipped through. The drow feel that if anyone were to use it to reach Grandfather, it should be them. They acknowledge Killian but don’t question him.  

Once again, Evensong thanks them for their timely assistance, and bids them a good night. 

Spar 18th – [ Day 8 ] 

The next day, the group meets Beauregard and encourage him to come with them. He is very reluctant, happy to enjoy the vibrant weather of Arborea. Surprisingly enough, the minotaur agrees with his position. Quinn is not violently opposed to leaving the plane, but he emphasizes to his companions that he really would like to stay. Killian is prepared to leave him after the songs he’s belted out, but Tira is the calming voice that convinces him to return to the city of Doors. She realized that there is some great enchantment on the plane that makes it difficult to leave. This is most likely the reason that Beauregard stayed here for so long. Before leaving, they each are promised a reward from Evensong. Tira collects now, getting a few bottles of fae wine. Quinn requests a harp fashioned from wood of the area. Much to everyone’s groans, he agrees and promises to have the harp for him upon his next visit. Killian’s request is a bit grand: he asks that they reopen the workshops and speak with the drow that hold the other end of the portal about reopening a new silk-spinning shop.  

The group leaves on a two-day trek to return to Sigil.


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## Ruined (Jan 21, 2002)

Spar 20th – [ Day 10 ]

Mid-day, the characters return to Sigil. Quinn lapses into an immediate depression, but it only lasts him an hour or so before he finds something new and interesting to focus upon. Beauregard is escorted back to the Exchange and he has a lengthy conversation with Felinca behind closed doors. Afterwards, the characters are paid for their excursion and released for a few days time. They each want to get some rest and attend to some other studies, so they agree to meet as a group in a few days time.


Spar 21st – [ Day 11 ]

The next day, Tira makes arrangements at the Great Gymnasium (headquarters of the Transcendent Order), speaking with Randir O La, an elven swordsman. She asks about the best place for her to order her thoughts within Sigil. He suggests that she go to a nearby garden and relax. She is intrigued, as the generally inhospitable weather of Sigil makes growing any plants other than razorvine difficult. He reassures her, and says that he will make arrangements for her training. She is looking for someone with skill in thrown weapons. Randir turns on the charm as the conversation progresses, and the pair also make plans to go to dinner that night.

Killian meets with Quinn and leads him to the Armory. Quinn has expressed an interest in custom-made weaponry, and Killian knows no better place than his faction headquarters. Two men (loosely speaking) run the armaments:  Spragg , a small bookish man handles all of the paperwork, while a smug cambion named Ely Cromlich tests and displays all of the weaponry. Quinn speaks to them about crafting weighted daggers large enough for the minotaur. Quinn immediately warms to Ely, their conversations quickly moving to tales of fighting and gladiatorial combat. Spragg tests the waters with Killian, judging how much he tows the faction line. Arrangements for weapons are made, and will be completed, dealt with later.

Tira goes to the garden and meets Kanishi, an old nipponese man who doesn’t speak much. He points for her to go and work the garden. The garden is actually not what she originally thought – instead of vegetation, it is a small pond and shore of colored stones arranged in a pattern. She grabs a rake and does okay, trying to arrange a grand new pattern. Kanishi advises her to start small and leaves her to work. After a few hours, Randir arrives and they go to the Silken Flower, a posh restaurant in the Lady’s Ward. 

The Xaositect construction site is in full effect. There have been a few incidents from bad planning and a small series of accidents have killed fourteen and injured more. Harmonium patrols are on the watch there constantly. The other site near the Hall of Records is garnering much interest as well.

Quinn and Killian decide to try and get Quinn a combat match for the night. They go through a bit of rigmarole track Tira and send her a message. Then they head for the Lower Ward to go to Crone’s, the arena that Quinn fights at the most.  Inside they meet Nester Filspar, the hag proprietriss who runs the tavern portion of the building. Quinn is well-known to her, but she has to appraise Killian before allowing him to go downstairs. He passes her inspection, but is made to wait as Quinn heads down to Tizzermahden, the arena that secretly lurks underneath the building. Quinn speaks with Agnes, the scarier sister of the two. After a little bargaining, they set up a match for the night.

Tira and Randir arrive, taking in the common-looking bar. After meeting with Nester, they are given the nod and head down to Tizzermahden. Bets are made and wages are won before the night is out. Killian talks with some young nobles and exacts a good wager from them. Quinn makes his grand entrance into the pit and begins fight with a squat hobgoblin called Gorvak. The match is bareknuckles, with neither wearing armor or brandishing weapons. The minotaur wins the fight, and the two become fast friends. Some working-class men tell Tira and Randir about another arena, the Bottle & Jug, thinking that Quinn would be good there. With a smirk on his face, Killian takes the nobles for some jink, and leaves them with a decidedly foul taste in their mouths.

Tira and Randir leave, heading back for Tira’s place. He escorts her home, and she invites him up for some of the fae wine she got from Arvandor. They drink a good amount and he stays the night. Quinn and Killian hook up and make their way to the Night Market so Quinn can look for some caps for his horns. Killian practices the cross-trade, swiping some coins from a walk-by without being caught. Quinn doesn’t find exactly what he needs, but in his distraction, he does acquire some paints with which to paint his horns. The drow and minotaur meet back up and head for the Tenth Pit for a few drinks. 

The Tenth Pit is roaring as usual. They slide over to the tanar’ri side of the tavern and have a seat at a table near one with a lone marilith. Killian goes to the back where some fiends are playing ‘darts’ with a helpless man pinned up against the wall. Killian asks if he can play, apparently trying to prove his merit to these tanar’ri. The first tanar’ri tries to intimidate him into leaving, but Killian proves he is of sterner steel. He gets jostled some by the tanar’ri, but eventually they let him play.  The stakes: If he wins, he gets twenty jink, if he loses, he’s the dart board. A bit shaken by the game, Killian’s aim is poor and he ends up losing the contest. 

Meanwhile, Quinn is approached by the six-armed marilith, who is intrigued by his presence there. She speaks with him for a bit, revealing that her name is Selazzj. They flirt a bit, a dangerous pairing, and then she straightforward asks if he’d be interested in a simple job. She wants him to deliver a sealed message for Shemeska the Marauder. He listens for a bit and accepts, figuring what harm can it do?  There conversation turns a bit more friendly, until they take interest in what is happening to Killian.

The fiends have grabbed Killian and are hauling him to the wall make him the new dart board. He breaks lose as Quinn speaks up and distracts the fiends. Killian bolts off the landing and towards the door, quickly followed by the fiends, and then by Quinn. The fiends give chase but fail to catch Killian. When they angrily turn on the minotaur, Quinn plays it off in true Xaositect fashion: 

“ Why did you follow us? You knew him, didn’t you? “
“ What?  I thought you guys were having a race…”

Quinn  returns to the bar for another drink. Selazzj comes to him and asks if he’d be interested in any other deals for the rest of the night. They leave and pursue things best not spoken of.

[Okay, looking back, this meeting between the minotaur and the marilith is a bit insane. Minotaurs are known to be powerful evil creatures, even in the Abyss, and it piqued the marilith’s whimsical interests. Of course, we find out later that sexy serpentine ladies might just have other agendas.]


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## Horacio (Jan 22, 2002)

Tarmy story!
Please, go on, and you will have a lot of cutters reading it, as sure as Sigil.

I'm leaving word of it to the fellow bloods of Planewalker's Guild forum and sure, they are coming here to read it...


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## Ruined (Jan 22, 2002)

Glad you like it. This campaign has kept me going for years, and there are so many things that I still intend to do with it. The players are awesome - over half of the plots they get involved in are direct relations of actions they take on their own. You can't ask for more than that as a GM.

And a funny side note.  One of the NPCs, introduced in the recent segment, is named Randir. And yes, for those PS veterans of the old message boards, I snagged the name from that fun guy Randir O La. Can't remember why exactly, except I thought the name was cool. The character ended up sticking around for a lot longer than originally anticipated.  And he's wayyyy different from our net guy, Randir. This NPC actually gets along with people.   [ Hey Randir, if you're out there, drop a line. It would be good to see if you've mellowed over the years. ]

Up next:  Fortunes in the Lady's Ward. And we learn that guard dogs in Sigil may be more than one bargains for.


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## Ruined (Jan 22, 2002)

Spar 22nd [ Day 12 – part one ]

Tira begins her next day early, going to meet with the man recommended by Randir. She goes to a moderate-sized warehouse off in the Market Ward near the edge. She is greeted by Orem, a well-muscled man with broad, friendly features. His black hair is long in the front, but the back does not reach beyond his shoulders. As he allows her entry into the warehouse, she inquires about learning the art of the spear. She sees an extensive rack of spears and javelins along one wall and knows that she has come to the right place.

Quinn returns to the Armory to speak more with Ely Cromlich about his weapons. He is considerably sore from his night with the marilith. Certain wounds inflicted the night before have yet to heal, an oddity for the hardy minotaur. Ely has already contacted a smith he recommends about the short swords. He pays for the remainder of his account, and talks about his recent gladiatorial matches. Ely mentions the need to spar some more, and suggests matching up against Quinn. Quinn hesitates, but says he will consider it in the next few days. Quinn leaves the Doomguard and heads to the Fortune’s Wheel, on the other side of the Lady’s Ward. Quinn asks a barkeep about Shemeska, the King of the Cross-Trade. The young man looks down and informs him that she usually doesn’t come around until night-time. Nonplussed, Quinn decides that he will return in the nighttime.

Killian goes and speaks with Gunther Travestane, the man in charge of the cross-trading (ie Thieving) within the Fiery Blades. Gunther had mentioned a possible job for him, and now has things more lined up. He tells him of a second-story job in a merchant’s house in the Market Ward. Gunther provides him a contact to meet at the Mermaid’s Cups at lunch, so he can get details on the job. He goes to meet the ex-servant at the restaurant. The man, Wilhelm, tells him of his former boss, Jonas Bihle. He wants Killian to break in and retrieve a medallion for him that would have gone to him before he was released from service. He gives Killian a charcoal-sketched map to the house, and they part ways.

Training with Orem proves to be very grueling for Tira. His methods are exacting, forcing her to practice the same maneuvers again and again. She does learn the rudiments of the skill, and he shows her ways she can practice on her own. She is allowed a break once during the affair, only when Orem receives visitors. As she lies there sweating, she sees Orem speaking to two men who look like brothers. Their conversation is too quiet for her to hear, so she utilizes the time to rest and recuperate.

Killian and Quinn meet up later in the day and head towards the Great Gymnasium in hopes of finding Tira. Quinn harasses the young factioneer at the greeting desk until she locates their friend. By this time, she is already there at the Gymnasium, receiving a massage after the endless workout with Orem. She redresses and meets the others, where the typical antagonistic banter starts. After a bit of discussion, they decide to move back to Fortune’s Wheel and attend to their respective business.

As they approach Fortune’s Wheel from the rear, they see the Singing Fountain. Each had heard the discordant noises issuing from this area, but none had actually stopped to watch. They see a graceful woman entertaining the crowd with little effort. She is dressed in long black and blue robes and her hair is festooned with a variety of grey feathers. The fountain itself is a large pool with a ‘tree’ of metallic basins that pour water into one another, each producing a ringing sound. They witness the woman giving a young man a drink from a ladle, and soon afterwards his voice is replaced by an unearthly song. When he stops, she reaches over and whispers in his ear, apparently translating his fortune.

Quinn and Tira volunteer to have their fortune’s told. As Tira watches, she dips the ladle into the fountain (which has a number of pigeon feathers floating within) and proffers it to her. After an exchange of coins, Tira drinks and sings the song. The woman, who introduces herself as Black Marian, whispers to Tira.

“ You would do well to beware the many who are one, young lady.”
“ Your dreams will herald the answers you seek.”

Tira nods, and then in a Cipher moment, Tira decides to begin something she thought of earlier. She removes an arrow from her quiver, snaps it in two and tosses the halves into the well. Black Marian looks at her quizzically, but says nothing. Quinn takes his turn next, and sings possibly better than he has ever sang before.

“ A friend will need your help in the midnight hour, yet you may not know of it.”
“ Do not get swept up in the cause of many, for while it seems good, it harbors more trouble than you know.”

Killian chooses not to participate in the fortune-telling. He recognized Black Marian as a member of the Godsmen, and their preachings of rebirth have always conflicted with the Doomguard’s philosophy of entropy. He idles his time, tossing coins at the basin to try and disrupt the sounds of the basin. He doesn’t raise the ire of Black Marian, which was his true purpose. When the pair are finished singing, the somewhat confused group leaves and heads into Fortune’s Wheel.

to be continued...


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## Horacio (Jan 23, 2002)

Good post. You reflect very well Sigilian mood, and the descriptions are great...

I like a lot the post _between adventures_ because it's there where we can see the real _roleplaying_. Of course, YMMV


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## Ruined (Jan 23, 2002)

Spar 22nd [ Day 12 – part two ]

At the Fortune’s Wheel, everyone sits down and has a drink. Quinn catches the same bartender as he’s changing shifts, and he subtly points out the table where Shemeska the Marauder sits. Quinn sees the King of the Cross-Trade, who is apparently a fox-like arcanaloth. Loitering around her table are a group of armed tieflings – possibly bodyguards yet they look more like assassins. One in particular is hefting a man-sized mirror with which the ‘loth is using to groom herself.

Killian and Tira watch as the minotaur approaches the table. Two of the tiefling move directly in front of him, barring his advance. Quinn pauses until the arcanoloth motions for the guards to let him approach. He begins to socialize with Shemeska, and finds that she already knows a bit about the group. She lets it slip that she knows they work for the Fiery Blades, although she doesn’t know why he is there. He presents her with the package from Selazzj, and she is pleased. Since the three of them work for hire, Shemeska asks, would they be interested in a job for her? Quinn acts interested, but requests that all three of them come to speak with her. Shemeska agrees, sending a few of her cronies over to ‘fetch’ them. The group has a delicate conversation with the arcanoloth, who at times seems more interested in preening herself than what they have to say. She drops an occasional hint that she knows far more about them than they suspect, keepiing them onedge. Shemeska is sure she will have work for them, if they are interested. With a promise that she will come calling, the three are escorted back to their own table.

After listening to the bard play (note that this is not Estrella from the night before), Killian decides to begin the job he received earlier this day. Tira and Quinn ask what he’s off to do, but he evades their questions and leaves. He leaves and heads to the Market Ward, donning a black cloak to conceal himself. He locates the house and scouts around for signs of life. There is a light at a window that he takes note of, since the house should be empty for the night. After trying a door and finding it locked, he decides to climb up to the outside balcony and try the doors there. They too are locked, but he takes a little time and opens it with his lockpicks.

Moving inside the house, he finds that he is inside a study with a few books and a desk. He considers checking around in the room, but the light he had seen bothers him. He slides out of the room and moves down the hall. The light comes from downstairs, but he hears no sounds from below. He moves into a secondary bedroom, why by his map must be where guests occasionally stay. Killian searches about and finds the strongbox where the medallion should be kept. He considers opening it, but decides to take the entire strongbox with him. It makes a bit of noise, but he feels that he is safe. He sneaks back through the hallway, and then he hears something padding up the steps. A quick glance back reveals that it is an Aoskian hound, a white, two-headed dog that is bred almost exclusively in Sigil. The dog sees him and gives chase. Killian dashes into the study and moves for the window, but disaster strikes. The dog follows and barks, using one of the hound’s peculiar magical abilities. Killian hears the bark and his muscles freeze up, causing him to fall on the floor. He feels the two heads of the hound tear into his backside. He feels the calling of complete entropy…

Some unseen force pulls the hound off of Killian. He is roughly turned over, and Killian sees a manservant looking harshly at him. He removes the lockbox from Killian’s grasp, as well as his sword and daggers. Killian cannot move, yet he hears the servant admonishing him, saying that he will go summon the Harmonium. The Harmonium (also known as the Hardheads in certain circles) act as the city guardsmen, policing Sigil and upholding the codes. Then he leaves Killian’s sight, leaving him to his fate for the moment.

It seems an eternity. Then Killian notices that the paralysis seems to be wearing off. And with it comes the pain. Killian senses that the hound is still in the room, so he tries to stay still until he’s sure he can move. After a few minutes, he leaps up and launches a dagger at the hound, but his aim is off. Without waiting to see what will happen, Killian turns and runs out to the balcony where he first entered. He leaps up on the rail, and hears the paralyzing sound of the hound once more. His muscles lock into place as he plummets off of the balcony and to the ground.

The paralysis doesn’t seem to last as long this time, so when he recovers, he limps off into the shadows. Bruised, bloodied, and weaponless, he travels through the side alleys until he reaches the Exchange. Gunther lets him in through the back door and shakes his head at the state he’s in. He offers him a potion at a price, but Killian refuses (due to his faction restriction). Gunther has an alternate plan, and takes him to a shoddy sawbones doctor who stitches up his rear for a few jink. They give him a few more to keep quiet about the operation. As Killian ends the night, he decides that it is time to create a list of those who must die by his hands. First and foremost, the dog…

[ DM’s note:  You gotta just love Killian and his player. He’s proud, he’s wicked, and he’s a GM toy. He doesn’t mind going out and trying things that may very well fly in his face. We’ve gotten a lot of mileage in jokes about this, but it’s one of my personal highlights. ]


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## Ancalagon (Jan 24, 2002)

This is quite entertaining!

The only time I ever got to game in Planescape was the PC game "torment", but I'm glad to see that there is some planescape stories posted!

Ancalagon


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## Horacio (Jan 24, 2002)

It's seems Killian is a bit too courageous, it can be bad for his health, cannot it? 

So it seems so Lower Planar creatures are interested in the characters... Promising...


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## MasterOfHeaven (Jan 24, 2002)

Nice story hour.  Two questions...

One, how do you balance out the extra powers Killian and Quinn get with the rest of the party?  And two, have you switched to 3rd Edition yet, and if so, when will the story hour make the transition?  

I look forward to reading more.


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## Carnifex (Jan 24, 2002)

Brilliant, a Planescape story hour! Good work!


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## Ruined (Jan 24, 2002)

Thanks for the good words, everyone.

MasterofHeaven, we are currently using 3e, but we only made the transition back in the middle of last year.  We went round and round with systems, even trying to develop and use our own. I had a big problem with the old 2nd ed. rules, and all the changes nearly destroyed the campaign. But now I'm very happy with the way things are going. 

As far as balance, we weren't (and really still aren't) as concerned about it as to how it affected the story. All of the characters started out at 3rd level, just so I could push them around a bit and not kill them every session. The player of the minotaur rolled his stats as normal, then applied the template we made for it (IIRC, + 2 Str, + 2 Con, - 2 Int, - 1 Dex, - 1 Wis). He was a bit powerful, but for a city where demons and angels walk around as citizens, I wasn't too concerned.

And the drow? Well, back then drow were an 'equal'  character race. So he had the standard template out of one of those 2e books (I think the player's option stuff).

My plans, interspersed with the writing, I'll post some of the 3e stuff I've made, including a few new skills, racial templates for the skaven, and other tidbits that I've collected/used/borrowed off the net such as the Outlands Calender. I think I'll even work on my website with some of this.


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## MasterOfHeaven (Jan 25, 2002)

Ah, I see.  I thought you were using the 3rd Edition Minotaurs statistical adjustments and special powers, and I was wondering why said Minotaur was not making the other Fighter in the party feel weak.

By the way... how insane are Quinn and Killian, anyway?  One sleeps with a Marilith, and the other one tries to win a dart game against a bunch of Tanar'ri for no apparent reason.  Insanity, I tell you.  But it's fun to read.


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## Ruined (Jan 26, 2002)

*Spar 23rd [ Day 13 ]*

The next morning, Tira and Quinn meet at Kanishi’s garden. Underneath the cover of the tarp, Tira uses her paints to decorate Quinn’s blackened horns. She spends hours, creating an intricate mural on the left horn. The right she simply adorns with a few splashes of different color. As they work, Kanishi occasionally wanders by and comments on Tira’s work, hinting that maybe she should give up the warrior’s way and paint instead. Her angry responses are met by wide smiles.

They go to the Mermaid’s Cups as they had planned earlier, to meet Killian in case anything bad happened. The bar is just as bad as the name sounds. Their ‘bards’ are scantily clad females that dance on the stage for the patrons. After an hour, Killian doesn’t show up so they go try to find him. At the Exchange, Felinca tells them that he was apparently very injured the night before and that he’s resting in the back.  They talk with Gunther a bit, their first time meeting him. He’s casual enough, but he does not reveal any details of Killian’s exploits from the night before. They leave a simple message for of where to meet them at later. Killian wakes after they are gone and makes his way out, filled with vengeance and loathing. Someone will pay for this slight. 

Moving slowly, Killian returns to his faction headquarters, the Armory. He checks back in with Ely about obtaining a certain weapon. He had spoken with Ely and Spragg about finding some sort of bladed weapon he could throw and possibly catch on a rebound. Ely explains that such weapons require years of practice and usually a mailed glove to prevent loss of fingers. For the time being, they provide him with a balanced blunt ring and a light chain glove. He speaks with Ely about some training, since he’s never used one before. Ely says they can probably schedule it in, especially if Killian will speak with Quinn about sparring. Killian mentions the upcoming pit-fight, and with a smile, Ely decides that he too will go to Crone’s. 

Tira and Quinn happen to go by the Xaositect construction site once more on their way to Crone’s. This time they notice that most work has ceased at the site and apparently battle lines are drawn. It’s not against another faction: this time the conflict is between the Xaositects. They are torn as to whether finish building first or paint as they go. After hearing complaints from both sides, Quinn steps forward and lets his voice be heard. It was a frightening thing for many Sigilians, hearing the mass of chaosmen chanting “Might makes Right!” over and over. His impromptu oration actually brings the Chaosmen back to working. Unfortunately, as with most things involving the Xaositects, this seems to only be a temporary solution. 

At Crone’s, Tira and Quinn meet with Nester and Agnes and set up another fight for the minotaur. During some small talk, Nester mentions a third sister, the ‘ugly one’.  Quinn has heard the two talk about Veldra every so often, but never had the chance to meet her. They have a bad feeling about how this hag should look, if her sisters say she has a rough appearance.

Killian arrives, and immediately a barrage of questions and a few scathing jokes are made regarding Killian’s misadventures. As the fights are begin, the characters notice that Ely has shown up to watch. During the proceedings, Tira watches Gorvak, the hobgoblin fight and decides that she could manage him, if he’d be willing. Killian slides over to talk with Ely, who is sitting with an alluring young tiefling female. 

Quinn’s fight comes up, his opponent being a very disagreeable ogre named Baelsh. They go at it, and it’s a tough fight. The ogre uses its slight size advantage over the minotaur, trying to grapple him. Quinn powers out of his grasp and moves around for better shots at his backside. Baelsh cracks a good blow with his club, but all it serves is to focus Quinn. Quinn pleases the crowd by slashing him up with his cestus, then proceeds to finish him off with a mighty punch. The blow lifts the ogre off of his feet and knocks him unconscious. Quinn’s antics bring on a good cheer from the crowd. This fight catches the attention of a visiting fight promoter named L.M. Cothran. He’s from the Gehennan gate-town of Torch, where he works for an arena called Broken Swords. Before the end of the night, he speaks with Tira and Quinn about coming up for a look and possibly some work there. 

Tira and Quinn join with Killian and talk to Ely. They meet his young tiefling friend, Toral (although Killian notes later that Ely is rumored to be in a tryst with Factol Pentar). More talk is made of Quinn training and sparring with Ely. In the next few days, Killian will begin to train with his new weapon, and Quinn will face off against the cambion warrior. With all of this said and done, it’s time to go home for the night. Tira has Killian accompany her, so she can change and clean the bandages for his wounds (DM note: the Doomguard eschew magical healing for more than just pride – their factional mindset tends to work against such ministrations). Quinn goes his separate way, back to the Rusty Trident where he makes his kip. 

As Tira and Killian wind through the alleys, they are beset by the two nobles that Killian took some money from a few days earlier. They are both fairly drunken, and have followed the dark elf out of the bar to settle the score. With a smirk, Killian agrees to duel with Gregor Antosky, the more vocal of the two. They square off, the noble with a steel rapier; Killian with his battered short sword. They advance upon one another, dodging blows until they lock the blades together. Killian grins, and uses his innate ability to drop a cloud of darkness upon them both. Gregor’s blade does find one last mark and wounds Killian in the shoulder, but soon enough the drow uses the darkness to his advantage and slays the young rake. The other young man is incensed by this blatant treachery and makes grave threats at the two of them. Tira throws a spear at the young man, but does not try to actually kill him. It serves its purpose, and the noble runs, leaving his friend to his fate. As Killian releases the shroud and removes Gregor’s valueables, the two of them can hear his living friend swear a solemn promise to have his revenge. The night provides no more surprises for the two.


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## Horacio (Jan 28, 2002)

Your story is wonderful as I have already said 

One of the things I love from it is the absence of the traditional "adventures". The four or five last posts were post of Sigilian daily life, without the sense of "quest" that most RPG sessions have. They searched no treasure, tracked no mighty foe, travelled to no far place. 

I love it!!!!!


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## Ruined (Jan 28, 2002)

Thanks Horacio, for the good words as always.

The primary part of the campaign takes place in Sigil, dealing with plots and intrigue. I let that be the stable background, so that when they leave and go out into the planes, they seem that much more magnificient.

And yes, MasterofHeaven, things can be a bit insane at times. Quinn is most definitely chaotic, as you'll find out. Killian?  Well, he just mean and vindictive. And he's one of those guys who believes fire won't burn them, again and again. Wait until you see 'the List'...

Next: A mission to the Outlands, and sparring with the cambion...


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## Ruined (Jan 29, 2002)

[ Spar 24th – Day 14 ]

The morning finds our cutters at the Armory, preparing for a match between Quinn and Ely. A few Doomguard factioneers have an inkling of what is going to transpire, so they turn out to watch. A square has been drawn on the floor of the weapons practice area for the two of them to fight in. Both are hardy individuals, so they agree to hold no punches until one yields or falls. Quinn chooses to use short swords in the battle; Ely chooses an oddly-curved blade (non-magical he assures Quinn) that he wants to try out.

The two face off against one another. They each feint a few times, then rush in with a crash of steel. Quinn presses the attack, taking any ground he can. Ely proves to be very nimble and incredibly strong. After several blocks and parries, each lands a decisive blow: Ely cuts up into the minotaur underarm, forcing Quinn to stop using his secondary sword; Quinn catches the blade of Ely’s sword on his pommel, and wrenches it out of his grasp. Disarmed and impressed, Ely prepares to fight with his hands. Quinn, trying to appear an honorable (if not arrogant) combatant, suggests that Ely retrieve his weapon. Ely chooses to forego the curved blade, instead grabbing a traditional longsword from the rack. The combat continues.

Disarming Ely was Quinn’s highlight of the fight, because after that, the cambion turns up the heat. He bursts into a flurry of action, striking with one weapon just as often as Quinn does with two. Quinn is pressed back and wounded several times by Ely, until finally he raises his open hand and submits. Both warriors have sustained a number of smaller injuries, blood running down their arms and through rents in their shirts. No potions of healing or anything of the sort are passed out – this is the Doomguard, and their philosophies of entropy go against their use. Ely is impressed with Quinn’s performance, and makes a few recommendations to improve his fighting style.

Tira mentions interest in a spear made of mithral that she could purchase. Ely tells her that it would most likely have to be crafted and it would be expensive, but he can make the arrangements. Killian speaks with Spragg while the others are occupied with the fight and weapons purchases. They speak vaguely of dissent within the faction, pertaining to the rumors of Factol Pentar’s new plans and attitudes. The two gauge each other’s true motives, but no plans are made by either. Quinn cleans up some and the trio leave the Armory.

They move out of the Lady’s Ward and to the Exchange. Felinca gives them another job, starting with a meeting with a cutter by name of Solastor at the Fat Candle Pub. The new mission will take them to Faunel, gate-town to the Beastlands and also Tira’s place of birth. Seems that an expedition out to a new set of ruins near the burg has disappeared and they’ve hired the Blades to find them. They head out to the tavern and meet up with Solastor, a wily, somewhat charismatic fighter. He definitely makes an impression as he shakes Killian’s hand and uses the grasp to flip him over onto the floor. He drives the point home that he will not be trifled with, and then turns to buy them drinks. The group, confused as usual, plan their exit from town. Solastor is not actually their employer for this mission, but instead a journeyman for the Bleak Cabal. He needs to travel through the Outlands to Faunel, and paid the Blades a nominal fee so that he could travel with their group.

The group returns to Tivvum’s Antiquities to retrieve another gate key from Alluvius Ruskin. She remembers the group and provides the neccesary key for a modest price. The key this time is a small, spherical lodestone. Once again, Killian examines the defenses of her shop, looking at it more as a burglar instead of a patron. He notes that the ‘keys’ she keeps in the higher level of this cylindrical building are worth more: gemstone baubles instead of shavings of soap and bent spoons. Time will tell if he ever chooses to make the attempt.

The characters make their way through the town into the Clerk’s Ward and to the portal itself. The front door of an office two buildings over from the Scriptorium serves as a portal to the Outlands. Tira knows of this portal because it is the one she used to enter Sigil originally. She knows of another, more accessible portal directly from the burg to Sigil, but it is heavily regulated by the Sign of One. They did not want that faction minding their business, even though it would have been a quicker jaunt. They activate the portal and step through, depositing them out into the flats of the Outlands. They note their location and leave most of the navigation to Tira, since she is a native to this area of the Outlands. It is an interesting time, as it is the changing of the month. The last day of Spar marks the ends of the oppressive stormclouds. On the horizon, they can see the clouds breaking up, and a reddish sky filtering through. The month of Hecatomb is nearly upon them.

[ DM Note:  Quinn takes no healing potions?  Back at this time we were using 2nd edition rules and Quinn’s high constitution (20, I believe) granted him a minor bit of regeneration. So his wounds would seal up over hours of time. We still play some with this, since having it heal him over hours hasn’t affected balance that much. And now with a healer in the party, it rarely matters. ]

[ Also, my campaign uses a variant of the Outlands Year calendar, which can be found here: (  http://mimir.net/outlands/calendar.shtml  ) on the Mimir website. I may make a post later with the months, the six days of the week, and all of that compiled information. I originally helped design the javascript applet on the page that determined the Outlands date for you, but as you can see it’s broken because it wasn’t Y2K compliant. Oh well. ]


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## Horacio (Jan 30, 2002)

Good as always! 

So they're leaving Sigil for a time. 
The Outlands, cool...


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## Ashy (Jan 30, 2002)

Top shelf and tarmy, blood!  Keep it up!    Also, if ya get the chance, drop ol' Ashy a line, please!


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## Carnifex (Jan 30, 2002)

Great, another update!

We want more!


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## Horacio (Jan 30, 2002)

Ashy said:
			
		

> *Top shelf and tarmy, blood!  Keep it up!    Also, if ya get the chance, drop ol' Ashy a line, please!   *




Ho ho ho, so the ol' tiefer wants to take another poor writter into his staff...  

I accepted his offer and sold my soul to his barmy/tarmy (it depends of the point of view)  Planewalker project, and now I'm too involved to quit, the Planewalker syndrome has infected me, as sure as Mechanus has cogs. Be careful, RuinedOne, he will offer you fame and fortune across the planes and you will finish like me, being one of his workers...  

Oh, well, forget it, accept his offer, join to the Planewalker network and someday soon I will be translating your Story Hour to Spanish and putting it in my Planewalker-es site. That will be tarmy, by the Lady!


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## Ruined (Jan 30, 2002)

Ooh, writing projects. Always good thing to tackle.  

And translating my story into Spanish?  Wow, that'll be very cool. Not that I'll understand a word of it, but still.  Just be forewarned, you're looking at a _lot_ of material, Horacio.  I've got lots to put up here, and when I edit it, it just seems to grow and get more detailed...


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## Ruined (Jan 30, 2002)

The Year of the Broken Wheel
[ Hecatomb 1 – Day 15 ]

From their starting location, Tira knows that the trip will take about three or four days. She does mention that travelling at the beginning of Hecatomb is a bad omen, as it is the month that most reflects the nature of Baator. The skies have adopted a hellish red color, pink early in the morning fading into a deep blood-red as night falls. Their path leads them into a lightly-populated forest, which she explains will gradually change into swamplands.

The change of atmosphere seems to scare the locals back to their lairs, and so this day’s travels go without incident. Hunting proves to be difficult, so they eat hard rations that they had brought with them. The woods provide a comfortable place to camp for the night.


[ Hecatomb 2 – Day 16 ]

As the characters move through the woodlands, they come to an area where trees have apparently been struck in Spar’s stormy weather and fallen over into the path. This doesn’t hinder the group, but it provides a distraction in which they are ambushed. Breaking from the trees are quick moving birds that are similar to ostriches in size – abrians. A group of three rush up behind Killian and Solastor, striking out with incredibly strong legs. They only stay for a moment, then rush off as the party recovers and ready weapons. As Tira launches a spear at the fleeing attackers, another group rushes to the front of the group, and catch the characters unprepared.

The group quickly divides to handle the ‘guerilla tactics’ of the abrians. Solastor finds himself in dire straits as two of the birds return and team up on him. He defends as best he can with a dagger, but their crippling kicks push him farther back into the woods. Quinn connects with one of his swords, leaving a bloody hole in the abrian’s side. The creature pecks at his face, trying to gouge out an eye, but misses and earns a spiteful headbutt from the Minotaur. The abrian collapses into a heap.

Killian tumbles away from an abrian and tries to use the trees as a shield of sorts. It works to his advantage at first, with Killian slashing into the abrian’s wings. The bird-creature angrily squaks at him, and then Killian is struck from the rear. He realizes that the birds are communicating, coordinating their attacks. This situation could get bad…

Tira also maneuvers to get a better advantage. After getting kicked by one of the abrians, she takes off down the path, seemingly running from the combat. She can sense that one of the birds is bearing down on her, so she takes a spear in hand. At the last second, she pivots and places the butt of the spear into the ground, and guides the point directly towards her pursuer. The abrian has no time to correct its path, and slams into the spear and into Tira. The spear impales the creature, and snaps under its weight.

Quinn sees that the creatures have Solastor on the ground, trying to retreat. He tackles one of the abrians, sending it rolling onto the ground. Solastor is freed to act, and from his crouching position he moves his hands and brings forth an arc of flame. The flames burn the creature and force it to back away from the fallen mage. The abrian that Quinn struck stands and trades blows with the minotaur. Quinn can feel the crunch in his ribs as he is kicked one good time. He forces himself to ignore the pain and lashes out again and again with his short swords until the creature lies fallen before him.

Killian dodges and tumbles his way past the pair of creatures attacking him. He does a defensive retreat, until he hears a thud and sees an arrow sprouting from the neck of one of the abrians. Enraged, the bird turns and charges towards Tira, who has now taken out her bow. Two more arrows fly, stabbing into the bird until it falters and falls at her feet. Killian’s sword finds his opponent once more, after which the bird decides to flee. As it moves, the last one attacking Solastor joins it in running from the scene. Killian takes his new chakra, the disc purchased from Ely, and hurls it at the abrian. It connects, although it fails to drop the beast. The disc ricochets from its target and among some trees, but comes nowhere near close to Killian’s outstretched hand. It takes a little time, but he retrieves the errant weapon.

Feeling fortunate to be alive, the group gathers and moves on, knowing that their destination of Faunel is still a few days ahead of them.


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## Horacio (Jan 31, 2002)

theRuinedOne said:
			
		

> *Ooh, writing projects. Always good thing to tackle.
> 
> And translating my story into Spanish?  Wow, that'll be very cool. Not that I'll understand a word of it, but still.  Just be forewarned, you're looking at a _lot_ of material, Horacio.  I've got lots to put up here, and when I edit it, it just seems to grow and get more detailed... *




Oh, don't worry, I have a group of translating bloods working in the pw-es project, I know someones who would love to translate such a nice story


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## Ruined (Feb 4, 2002)

I knew this part would take a little bit of time. This was a point when I didn't take good notes of the campaign. We were testing a new rules system, and there were many headaches involved, almost enough to make us quit the campaign. Fortunately, wisdom prevailed.
----------------------------------

[ Hecatomb 4th – Day 18 ]

The group reaches Faunel by afternoon on the fifth day of their journey. As Tira warned, the locale has devolved into a series of swamplands. Faunel turns out to be very different from what the others expect. Instead of an organized, densely packed burg like Rigus or Fortitude, this gate-town is spread out over a vast area. The buildings all appear aged and worn, and roots and trees have grown up amongst them, splitting the stone in places. Wooden walkways stretch from one building to another, providing a solid surface to walk over the marsh.

Once they arrive in town, Solastor bids the group adieu and thanks them for their assistance. leaving to attend to other tasks. They take in the city, noting what Faunel has to offer, with Tira as their guide. As always, they decide to split up to do some investigating and carousing. Killian goes to look for things that might interest him. Faunel doesn’t strike him as a place of poverty, but he sees little that he would be inclinced to steal. After speaking with a young local, he hears of Wrath, the ‘guardian’ of the portal. Intrigued, he goes to investigate.

Tira and Quinn go by Tira’s house, a modest house built amongst the roots of a large sequoia tree. The house is very quiet, and after knocking for a while, they determine that her father is away (Tira’s mother passed away years ago). Tira takes Quinn to meet Elder Gentry, the aging next-door neighbor. Gentry is over sixty cycles in age, an easygoing man who spends his days vinting wines and predicting the weather. He invites the two of them in, gauging this new ‘beast-man’ that his god-daughter travels with. Gentry makes them relax, telling them not to worry about manners and such garbage. When Tira asks about her father, he says that he has gone to handle business as he always had. Tira nods, knowing it to be the truth. They drink for a while, exchanging tales into the night. When they leave, Gentry gives them some heartwine to take with them.

Killian follows the path out to a small lake surrounded by an overgrowth of trees. Killian sees a large monolith rising nearly fifteen feet in height. Near the top of the granite structure is a carved humanoid face with eyes that glow a cold blue. The monolith rests at the edge of the lake where the path ends. He can sense a foreboding presence from the statue as if it were alive. But Wrath does not respond to his questions, no matter what he says or asks. He decides not to tempt fate, leaving the statue in silence.

Quinn and Killian get rooms in the Fallen Stag, a local inn. Tira is able to get into her house and sleep there for the night, reliving memories of her youth.

[ DM Note: Solastor was a PC, but the player didn’t stick around to continue. He was a great player and a good friend, but business carried him out to California, and so regrettably he dropped from the campaign. We never got a chance to develop the character, so I left him out of the PC listing at the start. ]


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## Horacio (Feb 5, 2002)

Tarmy! A Planescape update!

More soon, please!


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## Ruined (Feb 9, 2002)

[ Hecatomb 5th – Day 19 ]

Next day, the group heads to the Center of Eternal Dreams to meet with their contact. The Center is a dome-shaped building that lies deep in the heart of Faunel. A basher named Sashell meets them, an elf with rather prominent pointed ears. He speaks with them about the mission and the disappearance of the previous party. They are known as the Red Rapiers, a group billing themselves as ‘ruins explorers’. They had signed in at the Center, researching a lost temple in the wilderness near Faunel. One of the Center’s guides had accompanied the party out to their location and neither the Rapiers nor the guide had returned. The Center has hired the Fiery Blades to investigate this temple and determine the fate of the missing. He gives them details on the crew that went out, and mentions the leader, Jeter, who was known for his desire to live forever. They get a map and go.

Out in the woods, things are very quiet. They trek in the direction that the last party went through. Even though it is over a week old, they are able to slowly track their movements through the swamp. As night falls, they spot an old temple shaped as a zigguraut partially sunken in the muck. They cautiously move up to investigate, but hear no sounds nor see any lights. They rationalize that a few hours of rest won’t hurt their chances of finding anyone that’s been lost over a week. They set up dry camp out at the foot of the steps leading in. They end the night checking supplies that they’ll need to climb in the temple.

[ Hecatomb 6th – Day 20 ]

They break camp at dawn and approach the temple. The incline that the structure rests at is not that steep, but because of the style of building and the accumulated moisture and muck it would be treacherous to climb without assistance. They take a grapnel and rope and after a few tries successfully hook it in the open entrance. They climb in, with Tira at the lead. 

With a light source, they find the inside mostly barren and recently moved through. There is a pervading smell of rotting vegetation, probably from things that have grown and subsequently died in spots of the temple. Moving through rooms, they guess that the previous party had picked through most of the refuse, searching for ‘treasure’. There is no sign of said adventurers, yet.

The interior of the temple is decorated with murals of men being lined up and sacrificed to a great creature. The creature is much larger than the men and looks vaguely feline. The characters soon find a stairwell leading down and carefully negotiate the dangerously slanted passage. As they bring their lanterns into the room below, they see figures crouched over in a corner. They are wearing what looks to be normal garb for travelling through the swamps. The figures shift uncomfortably and murmur to themselves, but don’t greet the party. As they approach the lost party members, they rise up with a growl and launch at their ‘saviors’. Quinn is quick to note that they have sustained wounds, deep wounds and gashes that would normally be lethal. They are fighting undead!

One of the undead reaches out and slashes Quinn with a dirtied claw, leaving a stinging pain that lingers. He shrugs off the blow and plunges a sword into its jaw. Killian hacks an arm off of another ghoul, but it keeps advancing, trying to grab and bite him. Tira ducks a swing by the ghoul that attacks her and plunges a spear into its chest. The blow does not destroy the ghoul, but she is able to use the spear to push it back and keep it from reaching her. A fourth ghoul attacks Quinn, but it, along with the others, are quickly destroyed. 

They examine the bodies and determine that they are indeed the remains of the group they were seeking. None of the bodies match the particular description they had see of the leader, so they decide to press onward. In a litter of discarded backpacks and equipment, they find a bow of exceptional quality. Tira knows of good deal about bowmaking, and notes the signs of superior craftmanship. She takes the bow, slinging it over her shoulder.

They move further into the complex, finding a large, dimly-lit room where one wall is dominated by a large feline statue. They hear some painful sounds of whimpering and a throaty growl coming from the rear of the room. Moving in closer, they see a panther-like creature standing protectively near a body with its muzzle stained in blood. As the feline stands, they see tentacles hovering from its backside – a displacer beast!  As it slowly advances, another leaps from the side and tackles Quinn. Tira decides now is a great time to test out this new bow. She draws back and fires, and the bow’s strike would be true if she had known better where the displacer actually was (recall, their power is to appear a distance from where they actually stand).

Killian is quick to adjust to the needs of this combat. He feints towards the reflection, then spins and connects with the displaced body. Tentacles lash out at him and Tira, forcing Tira to discard the bow and use her spear. Quinn has his hands full, trying to keep the beast upon him from biting his face while the mostly invisible tentacles rake him from the sides. The minotaur is able to wrap his legs around the beast and exert enough pressure with his hands to break its neck. As he pushes the carcass off of him, he sees Tira and Killian use flanking tactics to kill the other displacer.

Bloodied, the characters move over to the body, which fits the description of Jeter, the leader of the Red Rapiers. Given the wounds and partially devoured state of his body, he should be dead, yet he seems to live on. Though his ruined face, he keeps repeating ‘It’s not supposed to be like this.’  A bit of searching reveals two things: first, a pack belonging to Jeter which has two rough fist-sized gems; second, another displacer beast and two small cubs. The displacer growls at them, but does not leave her young to attack. Wisely the character leave them alone and inspects the area. Killian wants the gems for the group, but he is quick to notice that the statue has two empty eye sockets, close in size to the gems. With fears of a curse unleashed by the Red Rapiers, the group sends Killian up to grudgingly return the gems to the eyes of the statue. There is no obvious resolution, other than Jeter’s body finally giving its last breath.

They take their news of the group back to the town, so that a burial and retrieval party can be sent out. They update Sashell’s map and receive their payment from the Center. Then begins a thankfully uneventful return to Sigil.


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## Ruined (Feb 12, 2002)

[ Hecatomb 9th – Day 23 ]

When the group returns to Sigil, it is business as usual. After speaking with their employers, Killian visits his one-room apartment to drop off his travelling gear. He notes something is amiss when he enters, small things that he’s left ‘in the way’ that have been moved. Nothing looks stolen, but things have been disturbed. On his bed, he finds a note written with exceptional penmanship. “ Come to the Wheel to speak of business. Signed, The King.” Killian knows that this is from Shemeska the Marauder, and he cannot decide which is worse – that someone has successfully broken into his apartment, or that the King of the Cross-Trade has taken an interest in him.

The group goes to Tivvum’s Antiquities to visit Alluvius Ruskin. On their last visit, they had made a quick agreements about plants they could acquire for her gate keys. They make a quick sale and move onto other topics of conversation. While they talk, they inquire about someone who could assist them in identifying magical items. She knows of a professor who works out of the Rowan Academy. His name is Serrateno D’Arquestine, and she directs them to visit with him. Everyone is still fatigued from travelling through the Outlands, so they decide they will do this on the morrow.

Killian makes his way by Fortune’s Wheel, with intentions of speaking with Shemeska and hoping to see Estrella. Unfortunately for him, Estrella is not working this night, and Shemeska is present. He sits at her table, and after a short amount of time she acknowledges him. Killian mentions that he doesn’t take kindly to others breaking into his home. She quips that perhaps he should move into a more secure house. She segues into a conversation about an item she would have use for, a item called a Planar Compass. She understands that there is one in a shop, the Hands of Time, but it belongs to another. Shemeska says she’s sure that there are more out there, and if Killian were to come into possession, she’d be glad to purchase it. The mission understood, Killian agrees, stating that it may be a while before he is able to ‘locate’ one.

[ Hecatomb 10th – Day 24 ]

The next day, they walk to the Hall of Records and to the neighboring Rowan Academy where this wizard apparently works. Speaking to a desk clerk they go up a few floors (paying a small fee for entering within the Fated controlled building) and wait outside a classroom as this man lectures on some confusing part of magical theory. When the class dismisses an hour later they speak with him about some work. Of course, he’s happy to do this for money, and so they come to an agreement with him holding onto most of the weapons. Serrateno is a gregarious sort, talking loud with an equivalent of a Jamaican accent.

For the rest of the day, the characters go back to the Exchange and train in their respective arts. The rest of that day is spent free of problems and adversity.

[ Hecatomb 11th – Day 25 ]

Early the next morn while traversing Sigil, Tira is approached by a robed human who knows of her. He introduces himself as Teller Madir, a priest of Dionysus. She is unfamiliar with the god, but the man’s breath smells faintly of alcohol, so she is curious. He speaks of their mutual friend, Orem, the man who had trained her with the spear. Teller says that Orem is dead, murdered by an unknown party. Tira is saddened for a moment, and thanks him for the information. He has more concerns though. He believes that Orem’s spirit has been displaced, sent to the wrong realm because it ‘was not his time to pass’. He asks for their assistance (knowing also of her party). She wants more information, but decides that should present his information to the entire group.

Later that evening, the trio meets with Madir and gets more details to this odd situation. Over drinks, he tells them that Orem’s soul has been mislocated into the realm of Hades, which lies in the Grey Waste. It seems that the power there, Hades and his wife Persephone, have been known to bargain with mortals for lives of their friends. He thinks it is worth a shot, and both he and Tira agree that it would be worth it to retrieve their lost friend. Killian and Quinn mull over this mission, but when it is apparent that Tira is going to go to Hades regardless of their choice, they both agree to accompany her. With this, Teller makes an odd statement that ‘the blood of the living will work to save the dead’.


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## Horacio (Feb 12, 2002)

Tarmy update, blood!

A  short adventure and they are back in Sigil...
Do you usually do short adventures out Sigil, a game session or two, and then some session of Sigil ?


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## Ruined (Feb 12, 2002)

Thanks, cutter.  Yeah, the majority of play takes place in Sigil, as I wanted a more urban feel: Politics and Intrigue in the City of Doors.  But then I use outside adventures to break up the ever-present rain and gloominess of Sigil. It can feel very harsh at times to experience the peaceful glades of Elysium, then be dumped back in the puddles and grime of the Hive Ward.

They do have some jaunts that take a bit longer outside of the Cage, but Sigil is their base of operations, so they'll always be back soon, if possible.


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## Horacio (Feb 13, 2002)

I like it, blood, I love Sigil, and I think you can play a lot of campaigns without ever quitting it...  And yes, your structure of short voyages outside the Cage is great, because it cuts the eventual monotony...


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## Ruined (Feb 20, 2002)

[ Spoiler Note:  This entry contains a good portion of one of the mini-modules included in the Planes of Conflict boxed set. You have been warned. ]

[ Hecatomb 12th – Day 26 ]

The next day, they leave out with portal information obtained from from Teller. Their path seems a bit unusual, requiring them to travel to Arborea first and travel along the roots of Grandfather Oak. They arrive and run across a shepard who is antagonized by the party scaring his sheep. He attacks with fearsome strength, trying to grapple and injure to the best of his ability. He locks up with Quinn, and after a few moves, Quinn is able to throw him off with a great feat of strength. They subdue the shepherd, but wisely, they do not kill him. Unbeknownst to the party, the shepard is one of the many sons of Hermes and his life is watched over by the power.

They find the roots of Grandfather Oak and begin to travel down into the deep recesses. They follow onward as the landscape turns from fertile plantlife to a withering shade of grey. Travel through this hopeless realm seems to consume the remainder of their day.

[ Hecatomb 13th - Day 27 ]

Eventually they come to caverns, the entrance to the realm of Hades. Soon they come upon the fabled guardian of the gates of Hades, the triple-headed dog Cerebrus. The beast stands twenty feet in height, with a dark grey coat. Killian cannot help but twinge at the memory of the Aoskian hound. At first, Cerebrus bars them access to the realm because they are still alive. It states that if they were to enter, then they would remain in the land of the dead for eternity. They bargain with the gargantuan hound until it makes them an offer. Cerebrus will allow them entry and exit (Hades’ decision pending, of course), if they each give the hound something very precious to them. It is a tough call, but they decide that Orem’s soul is worth the sacrifice. Tira gives a rolled up painting that she had recently completed, possibly her best work yet. Quinn relieves himself of his spiked gauntlets that he’s won many fights with in the arena. Killian hesitates, refusing to give up anything to this demanding dog. The gigantic dog allows the others to continue, saying that it will play with Killian while he waits. Finally they convince him to give something, his chakra, a weapon he recently gained from Ely. Cursing all the way, Killian accompanies them into the land of the dead.

Within they find petitioners milling about, acting listless. The dead are all grey and partially transparent, lacking life and passion like most inhabitants of the Waste. The dead do not hamper the group’s progress, seeming not to sense them. They come upon Hades’ grand palace, somewhat lonely in this landscape. They enter and walk through the abandoned halls. Eventually they find a large throne room, and sitting on two massive seats are a regal male and female. They reach almost thirty feet into the air as they sit. Persephone is the first to take notice of the mortals.

They plead their case to Hades, asking for the life of their friend who has been taken by mistake. Hades is impassionate, stating that there is no other interpretation of final death - there shall be no return from the land of the dead. They say that they have heard of it before, in which a few have returned from servitude here. Hades becomes indignant and wishes not to speak with them further. Instead the group, particularly Tira, address Persephone with their plea. By making convincing arguments and appealing to Persephone’s good nature, they pull her to their side of thinking. Persephone turns the charm on the sullen god beside her, and he agrees to free Orem. There is a condition to his release: the party must not harm any dead souls as they leave, for if they do, not only is Orem’s soul forfeit, but they will not leave Hades with their lives. They know that Cerebrus will be there to enforce its master’s will, should they fail. The deal hurts, but they agree and plan to meet Orem outside of the gates of Hades.

Walking back across the bleak landscape, Hades’ plan becomes obvious. As they walk, a group of the listless dead solidify more than before and begin to take interest in the party. They walk forward and quickly surround the party, swiping with clawed hands. One hits Quinn and spills some blood onto the ground, a bright red against the grey soil. Many undead quickly bend down to sup on the blood. Remembering Teller’s quote and seeing this, Tira stabs her hand and bleeds on the ground so that the undead will stop attacking. Killian and Quinn purposely wound themselves and use the distraction to slide away from the horde of undead.

At the gates, they find Orem waiting, haunted and somewhat lifeless. His body has taken on the shade of grey that permeates everyone else. They take him and are allowed by Cerebrus to leave. Killian, indignant as ever, makes a foolish promise to his friends that one day he will get even with Cerebrus over his weapon. They simply smile at Killian for his eccentricity and move on.

They travel back up the roots of the Oak and go to Arborea. Deciding that the vibrant lands of the plane could revitalize their spirits more than the streets of Sigil, the group takes a vacation for a few days on the plane, returning to their newly-acquired friends up on the branches of Grandfather Oak.


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## Ruined (Feb 26, 2002)

[ Hecatomb 16th – Day 30 ] 

The group returns to Sigil mid-day, with Orem in tow. Their clothes are still a greyish color, but the vibrant nature of Arborea sems to have healed their spirits. Orem still seems odd, somewhat gaunt in appearance, but they all know he looks much better than when they first retrieved him. The group goes by the Rowan Academy to check with Serrateno about the identified weapons.  

Tira’s bow interests Serrateno, and he questions her what she knows about it so far. He says that the bow is attuned to a celestial nature, and he believes the wood was gathered from one of the Upper Planes. He has determined that the bow’s strength has been enhanced, and small runes etched at the ends of the wood may indicate further enhancements that have yet to be activated. Serrateno suggests that she take the bow with her on travels and see if any sages or scholars can help identify the bow’s origins, so that its secrets can be unlocked. 

[ ed. Note:  I’ve always loved the Earthdawn system for magic items. Rarely do the characters find simple +1 or +2 items. These crafted items have names, origins, and sometimes layered abilities that can be unlocked by their wielders. This is one such item. ] 

After a meal, Orem decides to retire for the night. As he stands up to leave, the characters agree to accompany him back to his warehouse. They travel through the streets heading from the Market Ward to the Guildhall Ward where his building resides. As they approach the building, they realize that there are lights from within the warehouse, and smoke drifting from the furnace chimney. They doubt that it is Teller awaiting their return, so they creep up to find out. Orem suggests a trapdoor from the roof so they can look in from above. Killian scouts and shows them the best way to climb up onto the roof without a great amount of noise. 

At the ‘skylight’, they see a number of men working in the warehouse. They have set up some kind of cauldron where they are cooking a greenish ore. The smell that escapes from the nearby chimney is bitter and acidic. Orem looks in and recognizes a few of the men who attacked (and killed) him. The group decides to avenge their friend, and determine what these bashers are up to. Quietly, Killian opens the trapdoor fully and climbs in. He stealthily moves along the beams until he finds a suitable location. He signals the group, and Quinn and Orem leap into the middle of the room. 

Surprised, the six invaders are slow to react to this new threat. Killian uses the distraction to quietly kill one of the men from behind. A few of the men grab up weapons to defend themselves from the minotaur and the human. As Quinn and Orem rush in brandishing short swords and spears, Tira draws her bow at the trapdoor, firing and striking two of the enemies. The armed men clash with the three on the ground, while two of the men turn to cast spells. Tira tries to interrupt one of the casters, but her bowstring snaps as she draws back. Cursing, she partially rolls out of the way as one of the men sends a bolt of lightning from his hands. 

As Quinn fells one of the combatants, the air around him is filled with a pungent yellow cloud. Hacking and sputtering, he is put on the defensive as another warrior closes in. Orem attacks with a vengeance, slashing and stabbing through one of his opponents. He is assisted by his pupil Tira, as she drops from the roof and pulls out her spear. Killian takes advantage of one of the mages who did not realize he was there. As he tries to cast a spell, Killian runs him through with his short sword. 

Holding his breath, Quinn charges out of the cloud he’s in and headbutts the man before him, knocking him unconscious. Enraged, he turns his attention to the remaining spellcaster. Orem and Tira double-team the warrior, making short work of him. The spellcaster finds himself between the minotaur and the drow, and meets his end trying to cast one final spell. With their enemies fallen, the group collects themselves and tries to determine what they were doing. 

Killian goes to investigate the cauldron and the foul-smelling material inside. There are green glowing rocks inside that are dissolving into powder from the continual heat. Near the cauldron there are a number of small containers, some of which are filled with the green powder. Orem wonders why they would kill him for this? 

Something has been nagging Tira since they first saw these bashers. She pulls one of the bodies near another and notes that their features are similar. Orem remarked that he thought the ones who attacked him were brothers. They take a closer look and note that the eyes are very similar. This would not be odd, except that it is the same for all six, and they look to be of a variety of racial descent. They send for a Harmonium patrol to look into the situation, and the collectors to retrieve the bodies. The Harmonium officers that come ask a few pointed questions, but when it is determined that the house belongs to Orem, their defense seems plausible. The trio leave, agreeing to delve deeper into this mystery in the following days.


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## Horacio (Feb 26, 2002)

Good update!

I love Earthdawn system for magic items too. I think it's a lot more romantic, the item don't show all its possibilities when a new basher takes it, itt must be attuned, its magic must be discovered and in D&D xp must be invested.... 
(OT: Do they keep that system in the new edition of Earthdawn?)


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## Ruined (Feb 27, 2002)

I'm not sure, Horacio. From what I understand, they didn't change too much about the Earthdawn system. I think they revamped Taunt, because that was a rude ability, but I would guess that Magic Items were left as they were.  And honestly, I never touched the ED rules or GM books until just recently. That was one campaign where I went in purposely without knowledge, and I'm very happy I did.

Next: The Party goes to Mount Celestia...


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## Horacio (Feb 28, 2002)

IMHO, Earthdawn rules are'nt very good (for me, for my tastes, O.K., people?  ) but the book is filled with great ideas!

But I don't want to hikjack this wonderful story hour with ED postings, so pleas, RuinedOne, tell us more things about your adventurers and their Celestial adventures...


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## Ruined (Mar 1, 2002)

*Test Post*

Testing the Sig


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## Horacio (Mar 1, 2002)

*Re: Test Post*



			
				theRuinedOne said:
			
		

> *Testing the Sig *




A beautiful sig


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## Ruined (Mar 7, 2002)

*Reconstructive Surgery - remembering a 5-year old adventure*

[ Hecatomb 17th – Day 31 ]

After breakfast, each of the characters is found by a messenger bearing a note from the Fiery Blades. There is an urgent mission that they have been requested for, and it requires their immediate attention. This is odd to each one, since employment at the Exchange has always been very relaxed. It sparks their curiosity, and soon enough each stands in Felinca’s office, listening to her mission.

There is a need for a certain variety of celestial magic, one that can only be obtained from Mount Celestia. Killian groans inside as he listens to the details of the task unfold. Someone has need for spells known as ‘Crown of Flame’, and they have recruited the Blades to obtain them post-haste. Felinca does not order them to go, but she stresses the importance of the mission and the need to leave promptly. Quinn, Tira and Killian converse among themselves, and they agree after a suitable payment is reached. The characters are provided with a hefty amount of jink to barter with for the magicks. Felinca does advise that on this plane, good deeds are likely to earn as many favors as jink will buy. She provides the location of a portal, saving them that portion of the quest.

The characters grab their travel garb and head to a tavern called Aurora in the Market Ward. Inside they find large common rooms separated by arched doorways. They are greeted by an attractive female tiefling named Krista, half-owner of the bar. She offers them some of their fare, interesting meals with recipes and foods from certain Prime spheres. They regretfully pass, grabbing an ale before they try to locate the portal. They inquire about the portal, and she tells them that it is within the third archway. She offers to provide the key for a small price, since they weren’t going to buy lunch. Gold changes hands and she gives them a silver-plated dinner knife. Krista says it won’t be consumed from use, and it is a return key if they can reach the portal. No one thinks to ask what she means by reaching the portal…

Through the portal they go, and they are unceremoniously dumped into an ocean of clear silvery water under a starlit nighttime sky. The transition throws them off, and Quinn and Killian find themselves struggling to stay aloft. Tira tries to assist, but she’s also concerned about her bow and other items getting soaked. The weight of his weapons makes Quinn’s struggle difficult. As he begins to sink below the waves, he considers throwing them away…

And gentle arms wrap around each of their waists, pulling them above the surface of the tranquil sea. Rubbing the water out of their eyes, they see that arms do not hold them, but instead tentacles. A yellowish-green creature with the torso of a man and the lower half of an octopus smiles at them and holds them safely in the air. It introduces itself as Nemren, a humble zoveri servant. He tells them that it is his duty to prevent the unwary from drowning in the Silvery Sea without just cause. The zoveri is quite cheerful, and all too happy to ferry the party to the shore. Soon enough, Nemren deposits them on the shores of Solania and departs.

After a bit of walking, they come upon a group of petitioners working to travel up the mountain. The petitioners invite the trio to come along, which prompts a discussion among the three. It is quickly decided that to best ascend this mountainous plane, they should find other travellers and journey with them. Tira has an inkling of the philosophies of the plane, and that invoking good deeds may be the best way to travel. Given the inherent nature of the trio, relying on others seems to be their best bet. They accompany the group, each trying to help the others along. When a wagon wheel gets wedged in the rocks, Quinn is there to help move it along. Tira acts in a social capacity, getting to know the friendly petitioners. And Killian strives to keep his thoughts in check, practicing meditation when he has the chance.

The journey is expected to be peaceful, so it is a surprise when a group of clockwork creatures – modrons – march across the pass and directly towards the group. Quinn tries to push the wagon and others along quickly to move out of the way, but it is not enough to avoid the tide of creatures. The modrons act quirky and violent, and start a combat with those in their way. The three rush to defend the others, even though they are outnumbered by the living spheres and pyramid. 

At first the battle seems overwhelming because of the solid tactics of the modrons and their razor sharp swords. Quinn calls out maneuvers to Tira, involving switching up on their enemies and doing rather chaotic actions to bring them down. Killian looks for ways to sneak attack the pyramid-shaped tridrone, but its numerous eyes follow his every movement. The strength of the creature knocks Killian to the ground, but he manages to stab his short sword through the bottom of the pyramid. 

The petitioners are hesitant to involve themselves in any violence, but when the force appears overwhelming, a few of the men dogpile on the remaining monodrones and take them down. They survey their losses once the modrons are dispatched and find that only one of the petitioners was slain. The others do not despair, knowing that his soul has departed to join with the plane.

Continuing onwards, a few hours of travel upshore brings the group to the Monastery of Inner Light, a place where one of the petitioners suggested that they could receive the ‘Crown of Flame’ spell. They say farewells to the petitioners, who continue their trek up the mountain. The guards at the gate are pleased to see them, but they regreat to inform them that only archons, the celestial spirits of the realm, are admitted into the monastery. The trio pushes their case, attempting to gain sympathy from the guards. They do tell them of petitioners and the like who have signed recommendations allowing safe conduct. These can be obtained from Alamiel, a lammasu from the town of Heart’s Faith. The trio is disheartened, but they resolve to travel to this new town and obtain the neccesary permit.

The trip to Heart’s Faith is much easier and without problem. Heart’s Faith is a well-sized town built into the steep cliffside over the sea. They are greeted by a pair of majestic lammasu that patrol the gates. These two are part of the Winged Lions, the lammasu guardians of the city. The guards are aggressive, taking a keen eye to Quinn and Killian as potential evildoers. They note the signs of recent battle and give stern warnings to the group against such actions in town. They give the distinct notion that they will be watching every action of the group. Irritated, the trio continue into the town.

After the battle and several hours of legwork, the trio decide that it would be a good idea to rest for a few hours before they press onward. They learn that the nighttime skies of Lunia are a perpetual feature, so they won’t be losing out on any daylight. They secure lodgings at the Ironshod Mount, a clean inn near the front edge of the town.


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## Horacio (Mar 7, 2002)

Tarmy update, as usual!


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## Ruined (Mar 8, 2002)

[ Hecatomb 18th – Day 32 – part one ]

After they rise from rest, the group begins to gather information and find this Alamiel mentioned at the Monastery. Since they are of the same race, the Winged Lions are a likely choice to direct them to him/her. Tira is volunteered to ask, since the Lions were extremely suspicious towards Killian and Quinn. When Tira asks, she is not much better off, because the Lions know that she travelled with them. They direct her towards a large temple in the center of town. She also inquires about libraries, and they point her to a tall building along one edge of the town.

The group gathers and goes to the Temple of Mitra, which rises higher than any other building in the central plaza. The tides have receded, leaving the cobbles wet and shiny. They pass several merchants setting up stalls in the area surrounding the temple. Killian comments that he does not like it here, as the Winged Lions seem to be perched on rooftops, watching him wherever he goes. Quinn chalks it up as paranoia, even though the Lions do seem to be ever-present.

Once inside the polished Temple of Mitra, they do not have to wait long before meeting Alamiel. The lammasu must be an elder, because there is an aura of power that can be felt when in her presence. Tira makes the plea, requesting a pass of safe conduct into the Monastery. Alamiel questions their purpose and their natures, and is very thoughtful after they provide truthful answers. Citing their good intentions, Alamiel agrees to grant them safe conduct _if_ they will complete a minor quest for her.

A group of petitioners was tasked with bringing Alamiel a bundle of phoenix feathers. They arrived with the package, but several quills were missing from the bundle. None of the petitioners would admit to the loss, and Alamiel does not suspect theft on their part. She received word from a lantern archon that was watching over the petitioner’s progress. The lantern reported that the missing feathers fell into a portal or gate in the mountain, and have not been seen since. Portals that lead from Mount Celestia are a tricky business, Alamiel explains, because to leave the mountain means to abandon your quest for ascendance. She needs the feathers, and it only makes sense that she has travellers such as the trio try to find them. The three are not thrilled with yet another side trek keeping them from obtaining the Crown spells, but this is a small price to pay. They agree to the quest and receive instructions on how to find the lantern archon, Oriel.

Leaving the Temple, Tira leads them to the Library of Heart’s Faith. Near the entrance are a group of aasimon marshalling their forces. Killian and Quinn stop for a moment to watches the angelic formation while Tira enters the building. Within the Library, Tira speaks with an elderly woman about her bow and its reputed origins. Tira is very respectful, speaking of a desire to learn about the weapon. The woman offers to look for books containing information about such weapons while they attend to their quest.

Following Alamiel’s instructions, they travel out of the city and call for Oriel. Soon enough, a sphere of light darts across the sky and approaches them. Presenting itself before them, the sphere speaks in a joyous tone. Oriel introduces himself as a lantern archon, humbly working his way to higher plateaus. Quinn tells Oriel of the mission and that they would appreciate it if ‘he’ could lead them to the portal. The group, used to the ways of Sigil, prepares to make an offer for Oriel’s help. There is no chance to, as Oriel eagerly agrees and begins to move in the direction of the portal. Killian and Quinn look at each other with a shrug and begin to follow the glowing ball of light.


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## Horacio (Mar 8, 2002)

Another update so fast!!! And as good as usual!
Thanks, Ruined One


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## Ruined (Mar 12, 2002)

[ Hecatomb 18th – Day 32 – part two ]

Oriel, the lantern archon, guides the characters up the gentle slopes of the mountain. The ball of light is full of good cheer, commenting on the journeys of the previous group of petitioners. The characters inquire about the portal that these phoenix feathers fell through, but Oriel apologizes for it does not know much about it. Soon enough, Oriel leads them to a crevasse in the mountain that is large enough for Quinn to fit through. The archon thanks them for allowing it to assist, since it will surely aid in it’s progress up the mountain. They bid the cheery sphere goodbye and set to investigating the crevasse.

There is some speculation regarding the portal and what could have triggered it. Hopefully it wasn’t the feathers themselves, for they have none with which to activate it. Killian removes a silken rope from his pack and they have Quinn lower Tira down into the fissure. No portal activates and Tira finds herself in a sizeable cavern. As she starts a torch, Killian and Quinn drop down into the cavern. They begin to talk, but quickly silence as they hear sounds from deeper within. Drawing weapons, they move further in.

As they near a turn in the cavern, they can see multicolored lights playing against the walls. They listen and hear pieces of conversation: casual, playful voices that debate on what to do with their ‘feathers’. Guessing that their items have been found, they move forward to confront the speakers. They find three beings that are celestial in appearance, yet while most of the archons they have seen wore sensible garments of modest colors, these three were garbed in a riot of colors.

The celestials call out to the approaching trio, hailing them. Tira inquires about the phoenix feathers, claiming that they seek to return them to their rightful owners. The celestials counter, stating that the items were discarded and found by them, so they are the rightful owners. They proclaim that they can find many good uses for the feathers, much better than the lawful archons on the mount. The situation with the chaotic celestials gets tense, as they begin to question their true intentions with the feathers. Quinn successfully appeals to their chaotic natures, offering to split the feathers and let the celestials have half of them. Killian is a bit hesitant, just knowing that Alamiel is going to want every last feather. The celestials agree to the division, and the trio accepts, preferring this to a dangerous fight.

They return to Heart’s Faith with a small bag of quills. They present them to Alamiel, but she advises they keep the feathers. They begin to question, but think better of it when the lammasu hands them a sealed writ to allow safe passage to the Monastery. Alamiel ushers them on to the task ahead, offering no explanations. And so, the heroes begin trekking the path up to the monastery once again, finding the journey easier this time. 

to be continued...


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## Ruined (Mar 14, 2002)

[ Hecatomb 18th – Day 32 – part three ]

The trio nears the Monastery of Inner Light, where they begin to hear sounds of marching and clashing swords. Over a rise, they see a daunting sight – a considerable force of modrons is laying siege to the Monastery. They see archers firing from the top of the monastery, while ground troops battle against the mechanical horde. The characters wait while the conflict rages, not sure that they want to join in the fray.

As they watch, the scroll that Quinn holds on to gets physically warm. Letting the others know, he breaks the seal and looks at the writing. Arcane symbols written in a gold script burn into his eyes and he can feel the power surging. At the same time, the bag of quills is ripped from Tira’s grasp and one of the quills goes soaring into the air, held aloft by gentle winds. They watch the feather as it goes upwards into the sky. It spins and turns, and then explodes in a brilliant fireball that washes heat over the party. They shield their eyes, but they can hear the roar of flames as a large phoenix appears overhead.

The group watches as the phoenix rains fire upon the rogue modron force, destroying several of the units. The remainder scatter, trying to regroup to face the new foe, but the assault of the phoenix is more than the modrons can handle. It seems to take only moments, but the fiery creature destroys the assaulting force. The phoenix then turns and approaches the party, hovering in the air. It says nothing, but the character get a sense of respect from the majestic creature. Then it turns and flies up to a higher point on the mountain.

Tira, Quinn, and Killian advance to the Monastery and are let in without problem this time. There are some dead strewn across the battlefield, but the majority of the casualties belonged to the modrons. Once inside, the archons are all too happy to provide the characters with the 'Crown of Flame' spells they requested, in the form of three scrolls. Tira hands over the remaining phoenix quills, which they accept with gratitude. The archons do provide the group with a quill, just in case they need it at some point. The archons offer them a chance to rest and study within the monastery, but the trio are quite ready to be on their way and finish the quest.

Back down the mountain they go, returning to Heart’s Faith. As they approach the library, a winged archon breaks from his unit and hails the group. He is very formal and introduces himself as Ragarian, a sword archon. Quickly it becomes apparent that he is interested in Tira and the bow she wields, calling it the Bow of Deland. Tira asks how he knows of the bow she carries. Ragarian calls it a legendary weapon for the forces of good. He thought he had recognized it when she passed through earlier, so he checked with Margaretta, the woman in the library. Ragarian says he actually helped her retrieve a tome that spoke of the legendary bow. 

Tira is a bit unnerved by the archon’s fervent interest in the bow. He begins to ask if he can hold and examine it, but he is called back to his unit that is preparing to leave. Ragarian is disappointed, but he mentions that perhaps later he will be able to talk to Tira about the Bow of Deland. With Ragarian gone, the three go into the library. They find Margaretta, and sure enough, she has a tome of weapons used during one of the celestial crusades. Tira wants to study on the bow, but she is prohibited from taking the book with her. Quinn and Killian desperately want to leave Mount Celestia, so they agree to leave and she will meet them in Sigil in a few days hence. The decision is for the best, since Felinca seemed rather impatient to get the scrolls for the Fiery Blades.


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## Horacio (Mar 15, 2002)

Ey, good update... That bow intrigues me...
Keep the good work, cutter!


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## Ruined (Mar 28, 2002)

Can we say... Slacker?!  I apologize for the lack of update for the past... two weeks. I've been fighting an addiction, sad to say. A MUD game controls my life. And it's sad as afar as this goes, since the entries are basically written already - I just need to tweak them some before posting.

So expect an update in the next day or so, and hopefully I'll get back on track. Hopefully.


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## Horacio (Mar 28, 2002)

So a silly MUD has stolen our story...
I hate MUDs!!!! 

I want more Planescape Story Hour!!!


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## Carnifex (Mar 30, 2002)

And this shall be bumped back onto the first page, as an incentive for theRuinedOne to shake his MUD addiction.

Remember, repeat after me - 'I am strong. I am my own man. I do not need MUD's to survive. I DO NOT need MUD's. I am strong of mind and free to do whatever I want.'



Gissa update!


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## Ruined (Apr 2, 2002)

[ Hecatomb 19th – Day 33 ]

As Killian and Quinn make their way into the Exchange in the early morning, they are introduced to two cutters new to the Fiery Blades. One is a muscular human bearing no obvious faction symbols, who is introduced as Cross. He looks over both Killian and Quinn, but speaks not a word. The second is a tiefling named Kesdran, who directly greets Killian and introduces himself as a fellow member of the Doomguard. Felinca is there speaking with the two about employment. Seeing Killian and Quinn, she eagerly accepts the Crown of Flame scrolls and has them sent to Baerlon, the overall owner of the Exchange.

Felinca sends Cross and Kesdran out to speak with someone called ‘the Fat Man’ regarding their contracts. They head down to the lower levels of the Exchange, but turn a different direction from where Killian trains with Gunther. They find a secured room with bars and a bolted door. An overweight human apparently in his fifties waits behind a barred window for them. He knows of their presence and hands them simple documents with their names penned in still-fresh ink. They look over the details, which include a weekly salary, plus commisions on all jobs taken for the Blades. These contracts are very similar to the ones presented to Tira, Quinn, and Killian months before. They sign and ask the Fat Man about some job specifics.

Upstairs, Felinca is very relieved to have the scrolls from Mount Celestia. She advises the pair that there is a serious mission coming up that will require a good deal of the Blades’ resources. They inquire, but she is not allowed to give any details regarding the mission, merely that it will likely involve her, Gunther, and some of the other senior members. To this end, she requires the assistance of these two and Tira. Felinca says that they still have jobs that will need attending to, and she would like to include the two they just hired (Cross and Kesdran). Given Quinn and Killian’s success so far, she requests that they work with them and train them in the way of the Blades. They don’t think Tira will mind too much, so they accept and go to meet with the others.

Killian and Kesdran seem to warm to one another immediately, talking about current news with their faction. Kesdran is a wizard who studies under a fire genasi that Killian knows named Scorch Ashpowder. Ashpowder is higher up in the faction than Killian, but the two of them have spoken occasionally. Cross is much more introspective than Kesdran, but he speaks with Quinn when the minotaur presses the subject. Cross is a member of the Godsmen, coming fresh from work within the forges of the Foundry. Hoping that their companion will return shortly, Quinn suggests that the group of them gather the next night for dinner, allowing them all time to rest and attend to personal matters.

Back in Heart’s Faith, Tira has spent much of her time studying up on the Bow of Deland. The majority of the information deals with great heroes who have used the bow to slay fiends and foil their attempts to invade the good planes. Tira is unsure whether she likes this or not – she generally has no truck with fiends, but she has never considered herself a champion of Law and Goodness. This tome is one of the few sources of information she’s found, but she admits that the authors could easily be swayed to portray the Bow of Deland in such a light. 

Delving further, she finds a tale that provides useful information. It regards a young hero who quested for a time with the bow, but when in need the bowstring would snap on him. The string on the Bow had snapped for her more than once, not such an odd occurrence in general except for the short amount of time she had possessed the bow. Reading on, the tale talks of how the young hero used silvered strings and went on to decimate armies of evil without snapping a string. Tira ponders, wondering how she could get silver extruded into a string that would make for a feasible bowstring. She leaves the library, walking out to think about the matter. She walks out by the sea and ponders. The *Silver Sea*. Smiling, she takes out a number of extra bowstrings and soaks them in the holy waters of the sea. Once wet, she lays them out on the cobblestones and allows them to dry in the moonlit night.


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## Horacio (Apr 3, 2002)

Nice update!

Hey, Ruined One, I have some free space in my server (that server where planewalker-es lives), would you like having a site for your story hour?


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## Ruined (Apr 9, 2002)

Horacio, I've been meaning to send you an email regarding your generous offer. I'll do so either today or tomorrow. And without further ado...

Hecatomb 20th [ Day 34 - part one ]

Quinn and Killian get together to train some over at the Armory. Once again, they enlist the assistance of Ely Cromlich to show them new techniques. Killian mentions interest in another throwing weapon after losing his chakra to Cerberus, perhaps something with blades. Ely digs through some inventory in crates until he pulls out a circular bladed weapon and a glove partially covered with chainmail links. Killian examines the blade, which Ely calls a ‘krull’. It has a solid piece in the center with an amber-colored gem embedded in it. Five ‘arms’ extend from the center and curve in a clockwise direction, each arms terminating in a sharpened blade. Ely puts on the glove and mentions that it has an _enchantment of returning_ placed upon it. He displays this by spinning the krull across the room, and letting it ricochet off the walls until it returns to the glove.

*“ Is the glove neccesary?”* Killian asks, noting its resemblance to chainmail.
*“ Only if you plan to keep your fingers.”*

Quinn inquires about the mythril spear Tira had commisioned. Ely does indeed have the spear, which he shows to Quinn. It is long and a dull silver color. Quinn hefts it and finds it to be very light, and impossible to bend even with his great strength. He pays for the spear out of Tira’s payment for the mission to Mount Celestia.

Kesdran spends his morning studying under his mentor, Scorch. He attends to minor factional duties and spends a good deal of time pouring over a few spells he has been trying to master. There is no mention of working with Killian, as that is work outside of the faction’s realm.

Cross wanders the streets of Sigil, refamiliarizing himself with the city. Sigil is an odd city, as portions of it seem to change constantly. Abandoned buildings are torn down by dabus overnight, while new structures seem to spring from the stonework. Yet overall, the locale stays the same. Because of the enclosure, Sigil does not expand and overcome the surrounding terrain as an Outlands city would. The six wards that divide the city are stable, even if the boundaries between them are defined in only the vaguest sense.

Tira’s morning is spent in ritual and meditation, an attempt to bring all of the elements of her life into perspective. After a swim in the Silver Sea, she says her goodbyes and returns to the City of Doors.

Eventually everyone gathers at the Exchange for a late lunch. Tira meets Cross and Kesdran for the first time, and all of them decide to get some food and talk. Creatures of habit, they all make their way to Fortune’s Wheel. Cross is hesitant to go inside, as this is known to be a classy restaurant. He did receive his starting pay for joining the Blades, but he had devoted almost all of it to the room where he had stayed for the past few weeks. The others invite him to come on, but he declines, commenting that he needs some distance from the singing minotaur. So as the others enter Fortune’s Wheel, Cross moves to find a place to sit outside.

Inside, Killian asks the barkeep about Estrella. He doesn’t know, but the woman seated beside Killian does. He looks her over, an elven female wearing a stylish green shirt and form-fitting leather pants. He’s seen her before, and soon realizes that she’s usually found at the desk before the Azure Iris, a comfortable inn that conveniently rests atop of Fortune’s Wheel. Killian knows that they collect a good fare from factioneers too drunk to walk across town to their houses. She introduces herself as Verden, owner of the Azure Iris. She knows Estrella, as she has a permanent room in the Iris. Verden remarks that it’s a little early in the day for Estrella, who’s asleep after performing the previous night.

Tira, Quinn, and Kesdran look on with amusement as Killian spends a good amount of time talking to this elven female. They order their food and prepare to have an enjoyable lunch.

Meanwhile, Cross waits outside in the light rains. He pays attention to his surroundings, and notices a cloaked stranger who waits outside not far from him. As he watches, a group of four similarly garbed bashers approach and speak with the one. Cross listens and hears the distinct word ‘minotaur’, and they continue to wait and occasionally point at Fortune's Wheel. Unsure of their purpose, Cross goes into Fortune’s Wheel to alert his companions to the potential threat.


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## Horacio (Apr 10, 2002)

Great update, as usual!

And waiting that e-mail about the offer


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## Ashy (Apr 10, 2002)

Hey, basher!  That's my job - what are ya, a tiefer-in-training?!?!?  

::chuckle::

There's space on the new PW for this chant too!


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## Horacio (Apr 11, 2002)

Ashy said:
			
		

> *Hey, basher!  That's my job - what are ya, a tiefer-in-training?!?!?
> 
> ::chuckle::
> 
> There's space on the new PW for this chant too!   *




Hey, boss, if you didn't propose it, I had to do it 

So, Ruined One, now if ol' Ashy doesn't give you place, remember I have plenty of Mb waiting for you 

Ol' tiefer, if you aren't a good boy with Ruined One, he well join the Spanish branch...


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## Ruined (Apr 22, 2002)

[ Hecatomb 20th – Day 34 – part two]

Cross enters Fortune’s Wheel and finds his companions to warn them of a potential conflict. They quickly draw Killian over from his conversation with Verden and come up with an impromptu plan. They don’t want to fight in the tavern, as they frequent the establishment, so they decide to draw the fight outside. The three warriors will go outside to draw the attention of this group, while Killian and Kesdran will follow afterwards.

The two Doomguardsmen watch as their companions head out to the streets of the Lady’s Ward. They settle the tab and waste a minute before preparing to leave. As Kesdran and Killian move to the door, four cloaked individuals like Cross describe walk in through the front doors and directly towards them.

Outside, Cross, Tira and Quinn do not directly see any of the individuals Cross spoke of. They search around and see two heading off into a nearby alleyway. The trio quickens their pace, sliding weapons from their scabards and quivers. Rounding the corner, they spot their targets a few yards away. They have pulled back the hoods of their cloaks, revealing similar features they encountered at Orem’s warehouse. The one that strikes them most of all is a half-orc who also has the look: a certain darkness about the eyes, a thin nose. As they prepare their attack, Quinn notes that their moves seem very well-coordinated.

In Fortune’s Wheel, some of the cloaked individuals reveal their faces, which Killian recognizes. Kesdran isn’t sure about what will happen, but he soon follows Killian’s lead as he bares his sword and advances upon the four. Killian dodges out of the way as one of the attackers brings his sword down, then pivots to slash his backside. As Killian makes this move, another of his foes lays a hand on him and sends electricity coursing through his body.

Kesdran takes a few steps back as of the cloaked figures advances with a mace in hand. As he nears to attack, Kesdran unleashes an arc of flame that set his attacker on fire, as well as a nearby table and some of the chairs.

Outside, the two groups square off and advance upon one another. Quinn snorts and rushes the half-orc with his horns lowered. The half-orc, almost as tall as Quinn, lashes out with a hammer in an attempt to push Quinn to the side. He connects, but the minotaur has too much force to be swept aside. One of his horns gores into the half-orc’s stomach, sending him staggering backwards.

Tira tells Cross that they can handle these two, so Cross moves back to Fortune’s Wheel to see if he can assist their companions. The remaining attacker is slow to advance upon Tira, moving his hands in an odd pattern. Wielding her mithril spear, Tira leans forward and unsuccessfully tries to skewer her opponent. The spear clips his outfit, but fails to find flesh. With a chanted word, the attacker leans forward and strikes Tira across the face. Her vision blurs with the blow and quickly fades to blindness.

Cross runs into the bar, to find his companions locked in combat with four of these odd-looking men. Killian has his hands full, warding off the swordblows of one attacker, while the other launches spells at him. He sees Kesdran stepping away from one man that has been set afire, which another waits for an opportunity. Cross barrels into the mage near Killian, disrupting a spell that could have finished Killian. The two tumble in the floor, Cross using his greater strength to his advantage.

Killian deflects many jarring swordblows from his primary opponent. He has already taken another painful blast from the mage, and he’s begun to gauge his chances to flee from the bar. The swordsman swings towards Killian’s feet, but the dark elf dodges by flipping backwards to land on a table. The swordsman gapes at this feat, and the pause is all Killian needs. He leans forward, sending the table careening at his opponent’s feet. The man instinctively steps back and is unprepared for the assault as Killian buries his sword into his chest.

It takes everything Kesdran has to avoid the flailing arms of the man he set afire. He’s trying to prepare another spell, but to do so would leave him open and probably end with himself on fire as well. He feels his back come up against the bar and realizes that he must have moved in the wrong direction as the assailant rears up before him… and collapses, succumbing to the flames. He breathes a sigh of relief, and fails to see the remaining assailant levelling a crossbow at his head.

Quinn and the injured half-orc trade blows, Quinn with sharpened cestus and the half-orc with mailed gloves. Quinn develops a quick respect for his strength, but knows that his initial blow has weakened the half-orc. The two end up locking hands in an attempt to overpower the other. The struggle is great, each one pushing their muscles to the limit. Quinn powers forward, bringing his opponent to his knees, and finishes by kicking him into unconsciousness.

Tira slashes through the air, connecting with nothing. She knows that she could go beserk and swing everywhere without fear of breaking her new spear, but she does not want to hit Quinn in the process. She calms herself, recalling some of the instructions given to her by Orem. Instead of sight, she focuses on her hearing and sense of smell. She hears a quiet chuckle just to the right of her, so she pivots and slashes the man with the edge of her spear. She hears him grunt, and then the sounds of footsteps running away.

Back in the bar, Killian calls out to Kesdran to avoid his unseen enemy. Kesdran turns to look and sees the man but is too late. The man aims the crossbow directly between Kesdran’s eyes… and is encased in a billowing darkness. All three quickly turn to spot the source of the attack, and are dumbstruck. The wooden head and neck of the bar, for which the dragon bar is named, has animated and breathed forth the cloud of darkness. Kesdran moves, aiming to move from the targetted area. But the shot never comes. The darkness settles and still contricts around the remaining enemy, who quickly falls to the floor. The three of them are amazed at the event, and it appears that many of the bar’s patrons are in agreement.

Cross tells them that the other two were fighting outside, and soon all five are gathered together. Tira’s blindness remains, but for the most part the others are fine save for a few cuts and bruises. Word has spread fast within the bar, and patrons from other areas have come to see those barmy enough to launch an attack in the tavern. The Harmonium arrive in short order, as Fortune’s Wheel is not far from the Barracks where they make their headquarters. No one in the party notices as Cross slips out of the tavern just before the Harmonium officers appear.


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## Horacio (Apr 23, 2002)

An updates from RuinedOne's story, that's really a good thing... 
Great update, as usual!


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## Ruined (Apr 30, 2002)

[ Hecatomb 20th – Day 34 – part three]

The party speaks with Narcovi, an officer within the Harmonium, about the assault in Fortune’s Wheel. She sees the relationship between the fallen bashers and says she will open an investigation into the matter. In the meantime, Kesdran is apprehended by the Hardheads for reckless use of fire magic. The barkeep of Fortune’s Wheel says that he’s spoken with upper management and they won’t be pressing a case against him for the fire damage, since they were the victims. But Harmonium regulations require him to be taken to the Prison for at least a night’s stay.

[Kesdran’s player didn’t make it to the game, so I worked him out in a logical fashion. ]

Regrouping with Cross, the four head to the Hall of Records. They want to talk to Serrateno about their weapons and these people that have been following them, and they want to see if they can pay someone to heal Tira’s blindness. Killian and Cross go by Serrateno’s office in the Rowen Academy, but the only person there is obviously a student. They ask his whereabouts, but the student says Serrateno hasn’t been at class in a few days. The student leaves, and Killian takes the opportunity to look around the room while Cross stands watch. Killian finds nothing regarding their items nor any plans for Serrateno to travel.

Quinn leads Tira over to the Hall of Records, and after a brief inquiry, to a set of clean rooms downstairs in the enormous building. They speak with a young man named Syler about healing. He balks at first, advising that the facilities are only for faction members, but they speak the magic words: garnish. He examines Tira’s eyes and confirms that the blindness was magically inflicted. Syler leaves for a few minutes and returns with a scroll stained the color of leather. The fee for the healing is 180 jink, which they pay (as well as additional coinage for his time and discretion). Quinn watches the script evaporate from the scroll as Syler recites the spell. Tira blinks a few times and her vision is quickly restored to its former capacity.

Killian and Cross head out of the classroom as three older factioneers walk by. One gauges the two and stops their conversation to ask if Killian or Cross needs any help. They reply with the truth, that they were looking for professor D’Arquestine. The men know him, and question if these two are actually students. Killian debates on lying, but then plays it smart. He replies that they are not in fact students, but Serrateno was doing some work for them on the side. This is perfectly acceptible to the members of the Fated, a faction based around tenets of acquisition and in most cases, greed. The bearded man speaking to them says that he does not know where the professor is, but for a fee of ten jink, he could play the tout and give them an address where the professor is sometimes found. Killian looks to Cross, then slides out the payment. An address is given, and the men continue down towards the hall. Killian hears one of the men refer to the original speaker as Darkwood. The thoughts click in his brain. Factol Rowen Darkwood…

Everyone meets outside, and Serrateno’s absence is mentioned. They decide to check up on the man, as he had been friendly in the times they met. The Nighttime Retreat is a quiet, comfortable inn where Serrateno has made his home for over two cycles. Killian and Cross offer to wait outside, so it won’t look too odd to any patrons. The inkeep knows him well, but they’re not sure if he is in at the moment. At their request, she sends a serving girl to go check on his room, but he does not answer. After voicing their concern, she offers to open the room and check on the professor, in case he has fallen ill. Tira goes upstairs while Quinn stays below. 

Outside of the inn, Killian and Cross wait in a nearby alley. They are approached by a red-skinned tiefling with a sizeable tail. He strikes up a meaningless conversation, gauging the two. They think he’s sizing them up to rob them, but instead he asks if they are interested in taking a ‘Walk’. They don’t understand him, and so he shows htem what he means, displaying a vial with a strangely familiar green powder. Killian recognizes the drug, and Cross realizes it as well from the story that the others related. They continue to talk to this tiefling named Tarver, while glancing about to see if he has any allies. 

The Retreat caters primarily to sages and professors, boasting a comfortable library and a few tables for games. Quinn watches the inkeep’s husband playing a game of chess against a cube-shaped modron. The lawful modron beats the man with relative ease, but they seem to enjoy the game nonetheless. Quinn offers to play when the man is finished, and has a seat. Of course, Ylem the modron does not know that Quinn has never played chess, nor does he understand the rules in the least. The game begins, but quickly devolves into arguments about rules. Ylem’s resolve ends before Quinn’s, and he quits, saying there is no point to playing this game. Quinn declares himself the victor, and goes on about his undefeated status. 

The serving girl opens Serrateno’s room and allows her to go inside. The room is in shambles, with notes scribbled on various pieces of parchment, on tables and even a few marks on the walls. The bed, oddly enough, is made and doesn’t appear to have been slept in recently. Some of the notes mention a powder, and Tira realizes what has happened. She takes a few of the notes and heads back downstairs.

Outside, Cross wanders a few steps back while Killian is bartering with Tarver about this drug. Killian determines that it is called ‘the Long Walk’, and it apparently pushes your mind in new, enlightened directions. Killian cuts his eyes to Cross and says that they’ve learned all they need to know for now. Cross nods and brings his fists down upon the back of the tiefling’s neck. Tarver reels, then spins and thrashes Killian with his heavy tail. The tiefling backs up as Cross punches him a few more times. Tarver makes a gurgling noise and spits a blob of phlegm on Cross’ jerkin, which immediately begins to dissolve and eat away at the leather. By this point, Killian has unsheathed his sword, and knocks Tarver unconscious with the flat of the blade. They begin to drag him off in the direction of Killian’s apartment, with plans of interrogation.


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