H1 – Keep on the Shadowfell – Game Session 6

by: Charles Plemons - April 10th, 2009   Filed under: H1 - Keep on the Shadowfell Add Comment

Game summary for April 9, 2009; present characters included Adran Thorn (half-elf ranger), Balasar Scaleskin (dragonborn fighter), Galinndan (eladrin wizard), and Gloombrood Sorrow (tiefling rogue).

The Unspeakables wasted no time proceeding deeper into the complex. They headed North and heard goblin voices from beyond a door. The group kicked open the doors to find some goblins who had heard the commotion from a few moments earlier. These goblins were lead by a cruel hobgoblin torturer swinging a burning poker. Battle was joined, and Galinndan took up a position in the doorway, where he was riddled with crossbow bolts. The torturer went about setting Gloombrood and Balasar on fire.

Soon, the goblins spilled out into the hallway and brought the fight to the Unspeakables. They put away their crossbows and engaged in melee. The mighty Balasar went down under a flurry of brutal strikes. Grievously injured, Adran and Gloombrood kept up the fight. Eventually, they killed the last of the monsters and dragged their defeated allies into the torture room.

Inside, they discovered a cell occupied by Splug the goblin. Splug claimed to be awaiting his execution for sleeping with Balgron’s woman. The Unspeakables learned that Balgron is the chief of the goblins, and Splug agreed to show the team where he is. In addition, the goblin revealed himself a follower of the King that Crawls. The foul goblin made a horrendous salve that he forced into the nostrils and mouths of the fallen allies. He then danced about and invoked dark powers, which resurrected the dead and healed the injured. Then, true to his word, Splug took the group 15 feet to a doorway he claimed led to Balgron.

The team proceeded into the hallway beyond the doors and found a pair of goblin guards. They dispatched them quickly, but not before they could yell for assistance. Behind them, the Unspeakables caught a fleeting glimpse of Splug running from the complex, flying them the bird all the way. From beyond the curtains in the room, feet scuffle, doors slam, and blades hiss from sheathes. How many goblins are coming to play?

Twilight – A Vampire Tale

by: Charles Plemons - April 6th, 2009   Filed under: Television and Film Add Comment

Okay, so there has been all this hype about Twilight, people asking if I’ve seen it, talking about how good it is, and so on. When my wife started mentioning wanting to watch it, I thought I’d have to check it out. So, we rented it.

If you would like to save the time of the rest of this review, I’ll sum in one word: T-E-R-R-I-B-L-E. It wasn’t until watching this movie that I realized how overdone the whiny, bitchy, love-struck male vampire is in media. It really started with Dracula, but then, he started it all really. But consider some of the latest vamps such as Angel from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Mick St. John from Moonlight. Our society has taken the bite out of vampires! They are all becoming cry babies.

The worst by far though, is Edward Cullen from Twilight. Every scene he is on the verge of a crying fit. He sticks out his trembling lower lip, sulls up, and makes me want to stake him through the face! Not since Sesame Street have vampires been portrayed so ludicrously.

Really, the whole vampire in love with a woman thing is just about as silly as you or I falling in love with a chicken. You gaze longingly at the chicken, lay in the coop with it, stroking its feathers as it sleeps, trying to avoid temptation. Finally, when your will is weak, you lock lips to beak and pray you don’t slam that sucker into a deep frier and chow down KFC-style! Of course, you have to explain to the chicken the imminent danger. In fact, you tried to have a relationship with a cow some years back, and ole Bessy ended up steak, but that’s all in the past. This time, you won’t falter! At least not more than a nugget or two. I cannot help but think of movies like Rise or Blade, where you see what a horrendous mess vampire feeding can really be. For the sequel, let’s call Twilight what it really is, Romancing the Chicken.

At least characters like Angel got mad and broke things, and people, from time to time. He also had relapses into his bestial side, Angelus. Don’t forget when Spike “fell in love” with Buffy, it was still tainted by his vampire nature, and he even attempted to rape her. Vampires aren’t romantic figures, they are predators!

Back to Twilight. Even the “bad” vampires are not so bad. They have great lines like “you brought a snack” and “don’t play with your food”. Wow. Makes one want to shatter the kitchen chair, sharpen up one leg, and stake yourself right there in front of the TV.

Now, I can accept a PG-13 rated vampire movie, and I understand this film is for the romantic 13-year old teenie girls out there. That’s fine, but even at that, this movie is abysmal. The pacing is so S-L-O-W. Minute after minute of awkward silence, lip-trembling, and nothingness. Nothing. Nothing going on. The main characters just stare at each other, make a comment, and stare some more.

Let us not forget some of the riveting variations on the vampire legend. They seem to have venom instead of fangs, which is okay. Twilight isn’t the first to come up with this. My favorite though, is why they cannot go into sunlight. Sunlight makes them too sparkly! Yeah, they glitter like diamonds in the sunlight, so the MUST NOT BE SEEN. Slap on some blush and STFU.

This movie really made me cry tears of blood, mainly because I was clawing at my eyes. Do yourself a favor and pass on this one. If I prevent one poor soul from watching this film, I have been successful. The whiny boy-toy vampire who has lived for 200 years and still hasn’t grown a pair is old hat. Can we please, pretty please, come up with something new?

H1 – Keep on the Shadowfell – Game Session 5

by: Charles Plemons - April 4th, 2009   Filed under: H1 - Keep on the Shadowfell Add Comment

Game summary for April 2, 2009; present characters included Adran Thorn (half-elf ranger), Balasar Scaleskin (dragonborn fighter), Galinndan (eladrin wizard), and Gloombrood Sorrow (tiefling rogue).

The team asked some more questions around town for a while and finally decided to set out to the north toward what they believed to be the ruins of an old keep. The traveled the King’s Road into the evening, following a set of tracks they believed belonged to Ninaran. After a while, the tracks diverged from the main path into the dark, gloomy woods. In a clearing, the tracks mingled with a number of smaller prints, perhaps from goblins.

The Unspeakables trudged on into the night and finally made camp. They rested fitfully in the wet, murky, foggy, forest. Shadows moved about, and wolves howled in the distance. Eventually, the group broke camp and marched on in the pre-dawn light. After a short while, the Unspeakables discovered a burned out ruin with a cleared area exposing a stairwell into the darkness. Numerous muddy boot prints came and went from the stairs. The team descended into the torchlit catacombs.

Within the dungeon, the Unspeakables found a group of vicious goblins. After hurling several insults, the diminutive goblinoids hurled javelins and crossbow bolts. The Unspeakables responded with equal violence. Adran stumbled into a pit trap and had to fight his way free of hundreds of rats. Meanwhile, the others traded blows with goblins warriors and sharpshooters. With much cursing and copious amounts of bloodshed, the Unspeakables proved victorious. With the goblins dead, and every inhabitant of the dungeon undoubtedly alerted to their presence, the Unspeakables prepare to explore. What horrors await in the ancient catacombs?

H1 – Keep on the Shadowfell – Game Session 4

by: Charles Plemons - March 28th, 2009   Filed under: H1 - Keep on the Shadowfell Add Comment

Game summary for March 26, 2009; present characters included Galinndan (eladrin wizard) and Gloombrood Sorrow (tiefling rogue) accompanied by mercenaries Bree Shinbreaker (halfling cleric) and Skald Konietzko (dwarf warlord).

With the kobolds defeated, the Unspeakables returned to their original mission of finding Douven Staul. They again set out toward the supposed dragon burial site. Following the map, they eventually came upon the place and found it being excavated by a group of humans, a halfling, and a gnome, accompanied by two guard drakes. The gnome beckoned the group to come down to the site, but something just didn’t seem right. Without warning, the thugs attacked.

Skald advanced position and was quickly cut down by the halfling’s hail of sling stones. Quickly, Bree used her clerical prayers to restore the fallen dwarf. Galinndan waded in and unleashed blasts of flame and magic missiles upon their foes. Meanwhile, Gloombrood slipped into the trees and crept toward the halfling. The guard drakes tore into the Unspeakables with brutal ferocity.

Galinndan killed two of the human rabble with his spells. Bree swung her mace with terrible ferocity, felling two rabble herself. Skald swung about with his hammer, killing one of the drakes. Gloombrood succeeded in sneaking upon the halfling slinger and catching him by surprise. He viciously slashed the halfling from hip to shoulder, nearly cutting him in half. The slinger’s body hurtled over the ledge, and Gloombrood followed down to kill the last guard drake. Finally, Skald brought down the gnome skulk.

Following the battle, the team discovered a man bound and gagged under a blanket. He was none other than Douven Staul! They quickly released their friend, and he explained how he was waylaid by the bandits and forced to continue his excavating. The team sent Douven heading back home to his wife, and they returned to Winterhaven.

Inside the town, they found the people nervous and frightened, but of what, no one could say. Gathering provisions, the Unspeakables decided to investigate the light Gloombrood had seen to the north a few days before.

H1 – Keep on the Shadowfell – Game Session 3

by: Charles Plemons - March 20th, 2009   Filed under: H1 - Keep on the Shadowfell Add Comment

Game summary for March 19, 2009; present characters included Adran Thorn (half-elf ranger), Balasar Scaleskin (dragonborn fighter), Galinndan (eladrin wizard), and Gloombrood Sorrow (tiefling rogue).

After nursing their wounds, the Unspeakables set off to find the kobold lair they were told was hidden behind a waterfall. Following a bit of travel, the group found a clearing guarded by kobolds around the waterfall. A brutal fight ensued, with slashing blades and blazing magical fire. After a short time, the monsters were all put down. The team wasted no time storming the kobold lair and finding over a dozen more battle-hardened kobolds led by Irontooth the goblin!

The Unspeakables suffered serious injuries in their struggles but continued to press the kobolds and slay them left and right. Soon, the fighting had condensed into two groups, one inside the caves and one in the woods. Galinndan pitted his spellcasting against the swordsmanship of an armored kobold dragonshield. Meanwhile, Balasar, Adran, and Gloombrood circled about Irontooth, taking advantage of openings and slicing him up. Although the goblin fought in a bloodied frenzy, he was unable to keep the Unspeakables off of him. Soon, he too lay dead in the cave.

The Unspeakables wasted no time looting the corpses and gathering the treasures within. They also found a disturbing letter to Irontooth from a mysterious Kalarel regarding a rift. What have they stumbled onto outside the idyllic town of Winterhaven?

H1 – Keep on the Shadowfell – Game Session 2

by: Charles Plemons - March 14th, 2009   Filed under: H1 - Keep on the Shadowfell Add Comment

Game summary for March 12, 2009; present characters included Balasar Scaleskin (dragonborn fighter), Galinndan (eladrin wizard), and Gloombrood Sorrow (tiefling rogue).

As morning dawned, the Unspeakables set out to find the old dragon burial site on their map. Along the way, they encountered another band of kobold brigands. Fierce fighting ensued, leaving Gloombrood dead and Galinndan unconscious. Balasar defeated the last kobold and dragged his friends back to town. Once there, the lord of Winterhaven traded a raise dead ritual in exchange for the party eradicating the kobolds in their lair once and for all.

H1 – Keep on the Shadowfell – Game Session 1

by: Charles Plemons - March 3rd, 2009   Filed under: H1 - Keep on the Shadowfell Add Comment

Game summary for March 2, 2009; present characters included Adran Thorn (half-elf ranger), Balasar Scaleskin (dragonborn fighter), Galinndan (eladrin wizard), and Gloombrood Sorrow (tiefling rogue).

Four adventurers, dubbing themselves the Unspeakables, set out along the King’s Road toward the small trading town of Winterhaven. Douven Staul, an old companion of Balasar, had gone to Winterhaven to see if a map he possessed would lead to a dragon’s treasure. After thee weeks, he went missing. Balasar and the Unspeakables seek his whereabouts and well being.

Along the road, the four were ambushed by kobold brigands. The reptilian thieves surrounded the group and attacked, hurling javelins and glue pots at the party. The Unspeakables wasted no time bringing the fight to the kobolds, with Balasar’s mighty halberd chopping down the first. Gloombrood engaged in some impressive bladework with some others but took some serious wounds in turn. Galinndan unleashed his arcane fury, striking foes dead with magic missiles and firing off some impressive (although ineffective) scorching bursts and acid arrows.

In the meantime, Adran pressed in on the kobold slinger and soon found himself on the receiving end of a firepot. In moments, Adran was engulfed in flame; however, this did not stop him. Trailing fire, the enraged ranger moved into the midst of the kobolds and slaughtered all around him. Only then did he allow time to put himself out.

Following a few more moments of battle, the Unspeakables proved victorious, slaying all of their attackers. A search of the bodies revealed a number of silver coins and an assortment of subpar weaponry. The team took a short rest to catch their breath and take stock of their situation. Before long, they pressed on to the walled town of Winterhaven.

Within, the group rented two rooms at Wrafton’s Inn and began socializing with the townies. They talked to proprietor Salvana Wrafton for a bit and discovered that Lord Padraig wishes to rid the area of kobolds, but the militia has been unable to do so. They also talked to Eilian the Old, a local historian, who remembered giving a map to Douven. He was able to sketch another map for the Unspeakables. During this time, Gloombrood cased the joint and filched the coinpurse from a sleeping drunkard. He also climbed stealthily up atop the inn and surveyed the area. Off to the north, he could see the faintest glow of lights.

Down in the inn, Galinndan and Adran continued to work the crowd. They attempted to make nice with an attractive elven woman, but she dismissed them curtly. Adran made good friends with Lashley, a waitress at Wrafton’s willing to make extra coin in the evenings. Adran compensated her well, but only for information, which she was more than willing to provide. By the close of the evening, the team was aware of a kobold problem in the area, the last known location of Douven, and had made a number of potentially useful contacts.

What adventures will the dawn bring upon the Unspeakables?

W:tA Rite of Passage – Game Session 03

by: Charles Plemons - December 19th, 2008   Filed under: Rite of Passage Add Comment

Game summary for our Werewolf: The Apocalypse Revised Edition mini-chronicle, Rite of Passage, on December 18, 2008. Pack members present included: Aragon Phillips (homid theurge Uktena), Caedmon Sullivan (homid galliard Fianna), Lt. Daniel Jones (homid ragabash Silver Fang), Jeff Smith (homid ahroun Silver Fang), and Tony Diaz (homid ahroun Glass Walker).

After another break in the blizzard, the pack continued down the road and began seeing glimpses of spirits in the trees. Before long, the pack discovered Aaron’s cell phone had been stolen by the spirit entities.

Pressing on, the pack came to a downhill bend in the road where they were ambushed by five crinos werewolves! The murderous pack tore into the Wild Weres, dropping Dan in a few moments. Tony did his best to aid his friend, while the others waged war with the pack. Soon, Jeff succumbed to frenzy and viciously fought the assailants. In short order, several were fleeing back into the trees and some lay dead on the ground. Tony was terribly injured as well. As the final attacker laid waste to the pack, a large, gruff man clothed like a lumberjack and swinging an axe arrived. He decapitated the downed foes while the pack finished off the remaining attacker. He then performed some strange rite and stabilized the injured Wild Weres. He introduced himself as Bill and offered them shelter.

The pack followed Bill into the woodlands, where they came upon a log cabin. Within, Bill performed more rites, healing the injuries of the Wild Weres. He told the group about strange circumstances at the Grind Mine and asked the group to investigate. The pack agreed and requested Bill notify the family of the man they found slain in the cave. To this, Bill agreed. He then provided the pack with clothing from another era.

The pack continued talking to Bill and whispered among themselves about what exactly Bill is.

W:tA Rite of Passage – Game Session 02

by: Charles Plemons - December 17th, 2008   Filed under: Rite of Passage Add Comment

Game summary for our Werewolf: The Apocalypse Revised Edition mini-chronicle, Rite of Passage, on December 11, 2008. Pack members present included: Aragon Phillips (homid theurge Uktena), Caedmon Sullivan (homid galliard Fianna), Lt. Daniel Jones (homid ragabash Silver Fang), Jeff Smith (homid ahroun Silver Fang), Ohcumgache (lupus ahroun Get of Fenris), and Tony Diaz (homid ahroun Glass Walker).

As Aaron and Caedmon fashioned a covering for the cave door, Jeff, Ohcu, and Tony went to explore the cave. It went down for a while, and the pack detected the scent of death and humankind. While sniffing about, Tony sneezed, awakening a great bear. The trio fled back up the tunnel, with the bear hot on their heels! Caedmon realized quickly that he had forgotten the ammunition to his SMG, so he cast it aside. The werewolves moved in and fought viciously with the bear as it chomped on Tony’s flank. Soon, the pack brought it down. Aaron suspected the strange bear was controlled by something, perhaps a spirit. He attempted to Peek and fell through the Membrane into the Umbra. He soon returned safely and confirmed that the animal was bane-ridden.

The pack returned to the bear’s lair and found the remnants of a mine worker named Johnathan Willis. The group gathered everything of use or interest from his corpse. They realized he must have come from some civilization nearby. When a break in the weather occurred, the pack fashioned a sled and set out into the wild once again. During the trip, the intense supernatural cold of the Wendigo-summoned blizzard took its toll on the pack. Aaron began to suffer frostbite and delirium. Eventually, the group encountered a narrow road and found, buried in the snow, the wreck of Johnathan’s jeep. Tony climbed inside and discovered a map to a mine, a shovel, and a toolbox.

Soon, the pack set out again but the blizzard picked back up. The group dug snow shelters in the drifts along the side of the road to take refuge from the storm. Within, things didn’t seem so intense!

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.