7.01.2017

Leaving Whiterock to be Wrathfully Righteous

Upon further investigation into the happenings on the level of the dungeon we were on in Castle Whiterock, Taylor found out we were not, in fact, on a level where we would be thrown into an underground arena that is mentioned in the adventure, so he decided to call the game, citing that the orcs that captured us would just feed us to, well, themselves.

Though the campaign was fun, and I felt like it was gaining momentum as we delved deeper, the call made sense, and opened up a slot for the next game in our rotation (we're usually two or three games out in planning, though we drop random stuff in time to time), meaning that Sam would be picking up her Wrath of the Righteous adventure path for Pathfinder!

We last played this campaign in July of last year, and had attained 13th level and 5th Mythic Rank. Going back through my archives, I was surprised to see I never posted about this campaign, but the past couple of years have not given me many opportunities to do so, and the sessions are so rich with content that I don't feel I would do them justice. Here's my attempt to pick it up, at any rate, and we begin in the Midnight Isles, realm of the Demon Lord Nocticula...


After a reunion between Triel and Iridai, upon invitation we made our way to the Vault of Graves for an audience with Nocticula. However, befitting her fiendish nature, the demon queen set the shades of her lessers on us in the antechamber, stalling our advance just a short time before we were able to vanquish three and Triel took control of the fourth.
The Demon Queen, Resplendent

As we entered the main area, we saw shelves rising 50 feet or so, filled to the brim with scrolls and tomes. This scriptorium was guarded by two fly-headed demons, who we vanquished and then made our way past to Nocticula's chambers, where we were greeted by the sight of her reclining on a bench. I must admit, I have never looked upon the visage of one who rules what is basically a divine realm with my own eyes. Though I, myself, and Triel are both of divine providence, I must admit to being stunned and speechless when my eyes fell upon this dread queen. I noticed some of my companions were similarly dumbfounded, which makes me wonder if it was a spell of some sort or perhaps the fact that we met in her domain which added to the effect. We may never know unless we meet her again.

The conversation with Nocticula was tense. I remained silent, mostly due to my hatred for her kind, but also because she offered us what we wanted directly, and I felt no need to interject. She also granted us a "boon" in the form of a warrior that Iridai seemingly knew, but we turned down her other gifts, knowing that they would be tainted somehow by her demonic influence.

Despite the dangerous prospect of trusting someone of her persuasion, Nocticula agreed to withdrawing from a business operation with the demon lords Deskari and Baphomet, and also told us of a mining operation that the two were allowed to run on one of her islands, which we whisked away magically to when our audience was finished. Triel and myself teleporting there, with Druss leading the other two through a portal the fiend had offered to facilitate our travel. Though I could find no deception in her eyes or voice about this portal, I couldn't bring myself to jump at the gifts of one from the Abyss.

Arriving at the Isle under circling flocks of vrocks was unnerving, but we all converged in time to see a shape rushing at us from the sky, a celestial body defiled with beheading, with its skin flensed from its body. This Heavenly corpse rushed at us, but Triel's magic seized control of it and forced it under her will. I secretly wished for her to have blasted it to ash to rid reality of this atrocity, but it is small relief to know that under this control, at least this holy being's body will die in just cause and in battle against those who would commit this type of atrocity.

Our ventures took us further upstream, where we encountered more undead abominations. These, the wailing spirits of the cursed fallen, led by a powerful knight of the grave. Though they proved slightly troublesome, we eventually won out and claimed the barge they had been guarding.

I shall return with words on this soon...


Cast of Characters
Hal' bin (Human Cleric 8 of Iomedae/Exalted 5|Mythic Heirophant 6) - Me
Triel (Drow Wizard 13|Mythic Archmage 6) - Taylor
Druss (Dwarf Barbarian 13|Mythic Guardian 6) - David
Iridai (Nagaji Sorcerer 9/Dragon Disciple 4|Mythic Archmage 6) -  Jon
Tusk (Half-Orc Barbarian 13|Mythic Champion 6) - G2

Edit: I had typoed "orcs" in the first paragraph to "orcas". Funny, that.

6.17.2017

Castle Whiterock - An Adventure in Six Parts

...but only because there have been six sessions so far.

Taylor has been running this with Pathfinder, and we've had a blast. Our party has made probably 10 forays into the dungeon, taking the opportunity to head back to town maybe half a dozen times, and we made it to fourth level last night.

We started as an established adventuring group, with our band having done enough stuff before the game started to bring us to first level in our respective classes. We met with a local personage of power and agreed to tasks set forth by her to collect books and other writings we recover, and then be compensated for them.

Early forays to Castle Whiterock saw us facing off with slavers/cultists (I don't think we ever really got a good idea of which), undead, murderous birds, and bugbears! This latest venture into the dungeons below the structure had us poorly navigating hallways and randomly bumping into groups of orcs... one even featuring a spellcaster! Some of the orcs seemed a bit tougher than others, and it felt like our group were in for it a time or two, but we persevered (thanks in large part to Sir Hiss' Color Sprays) until we came across this Donkey Kong-esque staircase where some orcs were rolling barrels down the stairs at us.

After taking a few lumps from the barrels on our way up, we finally made it up and engaged the 4 pig-faces, then were surprised by Nomdalu (sp?) running up the stairs yelling that we had more company coming in the shape of six of the elite commando orcs heading in from the other direction.

Sir Hiss fell early, but Nomdalu was able to come to his aid while Malek and Cale swung away at the growing mass of bodies. Cale was clubbed down, followed by Nomdalu when she attempted to cast a spell in melee. Malek swiftly followed, leaving Sir Hiss the last standing. He promptly started begging for his life to be spared, and the laughing orcs (only 3 left standing, I may add) tied him up and then the lights went out.

We all know Batman or the Ninja Turtles aren't coming to save our sorry asses, so Hiss has been knocked out. Taylor let us know that we didn't end with a TPK, and has, indeed, told us what is to come, but I will leave my dear readers in the dark!


Cast of Characters
Sir Hiss, Male Vishkanya Sorcerer 4 - Jon
Malek, Male Dwarf Fighter 4 - G2
Nomdalu, Female ?? Cleric of ?? 4 - Sam
Cale Fontan, Male Human Fighter 4 - Me

1.07.2017

2016: A Year in Summary

Happy belated New Year, everyone!

It's been four months since I've posted, and the reasons stay the same, so I'll not bore you with them. Instead, I've decided to tell you a little about what I've been doing, entertainment-wise, in the past year, much like I did at the start of 2015.

I understand that what I do with my free time probably isn't appealing to most people, but you never know if you might find a book, movie, tv show, or gaming product that you've never heard of on the list somewhere.

Feel free to question, comment on, or make fun of anything you see on the list!


2016 Use of Time
Books
The Name of the Wind (Patrick Rothfuss)
Basic D&D Dungeon Master's Rulebook (TSR)
Do Ants Have Assholes? (Jon Butler and Bruno Vincent)
Pathfinder Adventure Path 11: Curse of the Crimson Throne 5: Skeletons of Scarwall (Paizo)
D&D 3.x Exemplars of Evil (Wizards of the Coast)
Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting (Paizo)
Proven Guilty (Jim Butcher)
Mummy: The Resurrection (White Wolf)
Vampire: The Masquerade New Orleans by Night (White Wolf)
D&D 3.x Ravenloft Denizens of Dread (Sword & Sorcery)
Vampire: The Requiem: Bloodlines - The Hidden (White Wolf)
5e D&D Forgotten Realms Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide (Wizards of the Coast)
Expert D&D Rulebook (TSR)
Pathfinder Adventure Path 12: Curse of the Crimson Throne 6: Crown of Fangs (Paizo)
World of Darkness Armory (White Wolf)
World of Darkness Shadows of Mexico (White Wolf)
Pathfinder Unchained (Paizo)
World of Darkness Chicago (White Wolf)
Vampire: The Masquerade The Hunters Hunted (White Wolf)
AD&D 2nd Edition Dark Sun Thri-Kreen of Athas (TSR)
The Civil War Almanac (World Almanac)
D&D 3.x Dragonlance Dragons of Spring (Margaret Weis Productions)
Malifaux Rules Manual (Wyrd)
D&D 3.x Cityscape (Wizards of the Coast)
Changeling: The Lost Core Rulebook (White Wolf)
Expert D&D module XSOLO Lathan's Gold (TSR)
D&D 3.x Dragonlance module Key of Destiny (Sovereign Press)
Exalted 3rd Edition (Onyx Path/White Wolf)
Malifaux 2nd Edition (Wyrd)
Pathfinder Adventure Path 13: Second Darkness 1: Shadow in the Sky (Paizo)
Ruins of the Dragon Lord: The Dragon Stone (Green Ronin)
Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Ships of the Inner Sea (Paizo)
Pathfinder Chronicles: The Great Beyond (Paizo)
Pathfinder Chronicles: Guide to Darkmoon Vale (Paizo)
Ruins of the Dragon Lord: Path of Archaneroth (Green Ronin)
Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Belkzen, Hold of the Orc Hordes (Paizo)
D&D 3.x Dragonlance module Spectre of Sorrows (Sovereign Press)
The Two Swords (R. A. Salvatore)
5e D&D Dungeonology (Wizards of the Coast)
Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Dragon Empires Gazetteer (Paizo)

Magazines
Dungeon 95/Polyhedron 154
Dragon 353

Movies
Deadpool (2016)
The Mexican (2001)
Hollywood Homicide (2003)
The Croods (2013)
Pompeii (2014)
Ride Along (2014)
Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge (1987)
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
2 Guns (2013)
300: Rise of an Empire (2014)
47 Ronin (2013)
The Internship (2013)
Apartment 143 (2011)
Girl in Woods (2016)
Law Abiding Citizen (2009)
The Other Woman (2015)
Just Go With It (2011)
Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Rise of the Zombies (2012)
Pacific Rim (2013)
The Revenant (2015)
Dream/Killer (2015)
Hazard Jack (2014)
Ender's Game (2013)
Man-Thing (2005)
Rawhide (1951)
These Thousand Hills (1959)
Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore (2010)
X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)
The Adjustment Bureau (2011)

TV
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Season 2
Murder Book, Season 2
Real Detective, Season 1
Agent Carter, Season 1
Major Crimes, Season 4
Rizzoli & Isles, Season 6
Ancient Aliens, Season 6
Game of Thrones, Season 5
Rizzoli & Isles, Season 7
American Horror Story: Roanoke (Season 6)
Game of Thrones, Season 6

Video Games
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Tabletop Gaming*
Rise of the Runelords (6 sessions)
Iron Gods (Taylor, 1 session)
Tomb of the Iron Medusa (Taylor, 4 sessions)
Wrath of the Righteous (Sam, 10 sessions)
Hollow's Last Hope (1 session)
Master of the Fallen Fortress (Taylor, 1 session)
Vampire: The Masquerade - New Orleans (10 sessions)
Serpent's Skull (Paul, 10 sessions)
Pathfinder Homebrew (Jacob, 3 sessions)
Shadow of the Demon Lord (Taylor/Me, 1 session)
Shadow of the Demon Lord (Taylor, 3 sessions)
Exalted 3rd Edition (2 sessions)
Forgotten Realms II: Legacies of the Past (2 sessions)
Malifaux (4 sessions)
Curse of the Crimson Throne (7 sessions)
*Games with names in parenthesis denote who ran those particular campaigns.