W:tA Rite of Passage – Game Session 01

by: Charles Plemons - November 22nd, 2008   Filed under: Rite of Passage Add Comment

Game summary for our Werewolf: The Apocalypse Revised Edition mini-chronicle, Rite of Passage, on November 20, 2008. Pack members present included: Aragon Phillips (homid theurge Uktena), Caedmon Sullivan (homid galliard Fianna), Marcel DeLuca (homid theurge Silent Strider), and Ohcumgache (lupus ahroun Get of Fenris).

The newly formed pack, the Wild Weres, awaited their group Rite of Passage, to be delivered by the Sept of the Green, in New York City. In the meantime, the group petitioned and was accepted by Fenris as their pack totem. Before long, Timmy arrived to take the group to the caern in Central Park. Once there, they were greeted by Larissa, who informed them they would be traveling via Moon Bridge to the Winter Wolf Sept of Wendigos. The Wendigo tribe would perform their Rite of Passage, and the Sept of the Green would perform the Rite of Passage for a pack of pups from the Wendigo.

Stepping through the Moon Bridge, the Wild Weres found themselves confronted by the Warden of the Sept, who provided them food and lodging and informed them the Rite would begin in the morning. During the night, the pack was awakened by a Howl of Mourning, followed by a Howl of Calling the Pack. They quickly scrambled from their tent and found the entire Sept assembled and listening to their elders. As the pack arrived, the Wendigos snarled and surrounded them. The Warden stepped forward and told them the Wendigo pups had been killed by the Sept of the Green! He snarled at the pack and cast them out of the caern, warning them that to return would mean their deaths. As they left, Caedmon realized the Wendigo theurges were summoning a blizzard!

The pack fled into the pre-dawn light and scrambled to put distance between themselves and the Winter Wolf Sept. Aragon was able to get their latitude and longitude from his iPhone and determined they were in Northern Canada. He knew there should be civilization to the south, so that is the direction they set off. Traveling through the woodlands, Ohcumgache took the lead, felling a deer for the pack and leading them to a fresh water seep.

Within a few hours, the weather began to turn as the summoned blizzard rolled in. The pack carefully searched the area until they found a small cave they could all hole up in. The pack began gathering firewood and preparing to ride out the blizzard.

Age of Worms Adventure Path – Game Session 99

by: Charles Plemons - November 7th, 2008   Filed under: Age of Worms Add Comment

Game summary for November 6, 2008; present characters included Eolas Windmaster (moon elf duskblade), Lyrin Sinbal (simian incantatrix/ring sage/warmage), Mael Gabrian (human cleric), Ranulph Wathbater (human berserker/fighter/hellreaver/paladin of freedom/rogue), Saedd West (human fighter/pious templar/wormhunter), Syvarius Strongbow (moon elf archer-ranger/peerless archer), and Taravin Truesilver (human divine crusader/gray guard/paladin of honor/pious templar).

With the sound of Kyuss’ prison cracking and the maniacal laughter of the triumphant Wormgod echoing about the chamber, the Mercenaries enhanced their might with spell and potion and rushed to meet the rising lord of the Age. The team found Kyuss forming from a pile of worms spilling forth from the monolith. Tentatively at first, the team launched some spells and arrows at the rising mass. In moments, the Wormgod stood before them, towering twenty feet in the air, a mass of worms held into a man-like form. His black cowl glowed from the red pits of his eyes, and a massive black executioner’s mace stood out at his side.

Wasting no time, Kyuss enacted his first miraculous event as a god by reinstating the Unlife Vortex! Unholy energy surged into the Wormgod giving him power beyond belief. The team took several more shots, some more telling than others, and Lyrin unleashed the secret weapon: the sphere of annihilation. Kyuss remained far from the group and used harm to recover from the blows that did get through to him. Knowing the threat posed by the sphere, Kyuss locked onto its controller. In a booming voice, dripping with evil, Kyuss commanded Lyrin, “Don’t exist!” Lyrin obeyed and disappeared in a puff of scattered particles, his equipment landing in a clatter.

The Mercenaries continued a steady barrage of spell and blade against the ever-strengthening deity, but it was Taravin who struck the first truly telling shot. Using a wish, Taravin deactivated the Unlife Vortex, greatly weakening Kyuss once again. He then followed it with another wish to bring Lyrin back into existance! Enraged, Kyuss stopped time and enhanced his magical protections and then moved into the midst of the party. The Wormgod unleashed a powerful wail of the banshee, which stopped Eolas’ heart cold. Mael attempted to utter a prayer, and Kyuss casually flicked his blade at the cleric, separating his head from his shoulders.

The newly risen Lyrin slammed the sphere of annihilation into Kyuss, greatly harming him, while the team fell in around him to hedge him in. The resourceful deity discorporated into a mound of writhing worms and rolled right over Ranulph to escape the sphere. The whole time, the party continued with their unrelenting barrage of spell, blade, and arrow, with each nick and cut wearing him down a little more.

Taravin used another wish to restore Mael, and a cloak of the phoenix revitalized Eolas. Frustrated, Kyuss continued to harm himself to recover from the attacks and created a wall of stone to hold the team off. Lyrin carved a large enough hole in it using the sphere. Taravin spent yet another wish to try and imprison Kyuss in a barred forcecage, but the Wormgod flowed through it in worm form. Saedd stayed on Kyuss the whole time, whacking away at the writhing deity, much to Kyuss’ consternation. Arrow and spell continued to batter away, and Ranulph, winged boots flapping, flew up to the god and delivered a mighty blow, striking Kyuss dead. The deity melted away into a puddle of ooze, and the party emerged from the Spire victorious.

As the undead Kyuss-spawn began dying in the streets, people emerged to see the valorous heroes. Soon, an army of survivors trailed the group chanting their names and praising them, hailing them as the new leaders of Mintarn! With the Age of Worms averted and an island city under their control, the Mercenaries have fulfilled their destiny. They will take their place among the legendary names of the Realms. Where their paths may lead is unknown, except for one Ranulph Godslayer; he returned to the Wormcrawl Fissure and married Zulshyn the lillend, making an honest snake… er, woman out of her!

Age of Worms Adventure Path – Game Session 98

by: Charles Plemons - November 5th, 2008   Filed under: Age of Worms Add Comment

Game summary for October 30, 2008; present characters included Eolas Windmaster (moon elf duskblade), Lyrin Sinbal (simian incantatrix/ring sage/warmage), Morak Beardfist (shield dwarf fighter/rage cleric), Ranulph Wathbater (human berserker/fighter/hellreaver/paladin of freedom/rogue), Saedd West (human fighter/pious templar/wormhunter), and Syvarius Strongbow (moon elf archer-ranger/peerless archer).

Ascending another level, the Mercenaries discovered a room filled with Kyuss high-knights. One, a female, provoked a severe response from Balakarde’s spirit. The apparition manifested and howled in rage as he recognized her as Maralee, his sister!

The team quickly engaged the undead knights in pitched melee. Saedd and Ranulph took the front line while the knights closed in. Saedd laid into Maralee with several vicious swipes, but she quickly retaliated and slaughtered him in his stride. Ranulph faired somewhat better, able to slip into the back of the room to nurse the horrendous wounds the knights dealt him. Meanwhile, a hail of arrows filled the air, and bursts of arcane and divine fire rained down on the knights. The undead pressed their advantage and rocked the Mercenaries back on their heels, but through fearsome swordplay and an unending ranged assault of fire and bow, the undead began to fall.

Lyrin staggered the creatures with a blast on arcane sunlight, rendering a couple blind and enraging the others. Eolas channeled arcane fire through his blade and turned knight after knight into a ash-filled tin can. Syvarius slew one of the creatures on the stairs, and Morak firmly planted his dwarven self in front of Lyrin to protect the caster. After a pitched battle, the undead were all defeated and Saedd returned from the grave.

Ahead lies a massive pair of silver doors writhing with metallic worms. From this height, only the roof could lie beyond. Are the Mercenaries ready to engage the Wormgod in a fight to save the very Realms?