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Excalibur: a NeoGAF Pathfinder Play by Post Campaign

T

ThLunarian

Member
Thaddeus turns to the tiefling. "Son," he snaps, dripping with sarcasm, "I'll take no lectures from YOU, a lifelong nonbeliever, on the whims of the gods. Heironeous has betrayed me - if he's even out there at all -, and it is my business,and my business alone to deal with it. You can take your self righteousness and shove it. I was going to jump out myself and deposit her on the road safely, for a traveler to come upon. I'm not a monster," he says, letting his glare linger on the ranger accusatorily.

((Wasn't sure if you'd make me lose my powers but I was ready for it if you had :) ))
 
K

KittenMaster

Member
Dortumn just looks at Thaddeus, "You could be using her to save a kitten for all I know, doesn't change the fact you're acting sour! Maybe the lass isn't cooperative now, but maybe she'll be later."

Curly finally turns back, handing the controls over to the Kobold so that he can lecture on the state of the trip, adjusting his goggles before speaking, "The circumstances of our travel to the prison which has been re-established by vagrants as a vestige is taking us on a path which is not the roads which most travel on, as we don't want to be seen in public. Quite frankly, leaving the famous singer with little to no survival ability out here in the middle of nowhere would be leaving her out to starve."

Dortumn adds, "And should somebody find her, she knows where we are going. It would compromise us."
 
T

ThLunarian

Member
"Sour? I'm acting sour? Oh, I'm so sorry for offending your delicate sensibilities! How DARE I be upset? My family's history has been erased, I've had the wool pulled out from under me on a promise to remedy myself of this dreadful purple skin tone, I've been framed for murder, I've been stricken with an affliction that makes it difficult to even hold my sword steady, and I'm on my way to a den of thieves while confined in a ramshackle bucket of bolts with... with YOU people, but gods forbid I offend you with my sour mood! How ever can I make it up to you, Commander?"
 
A

Axelhortsemchi

Member
((Sorry guys, I've been tailgating all day and have been without Internet. Typing this up now, and doing it kind of drunk, so pardon the errors.))

Tiberious grabs Thadeous's shoulder with a steel-shredding grip, knowing he can take it like a normal display of tension. "Stupid oaf? STUPID FUCKING OAF?! Someone. Who is POSIBLY my brother sacrificed himself so we can destroy the Thieve's Guild, in the manliest of fashions. I don't remember ANYTHING before I was twelve, so my family is a mystery, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?! We know at least one officer is REALLY FUCKING attached to Lovegood, seeing how things went down there. You're angry? We will hold Lovegood! No! I will personally break Lovegood's limbs and digits one at a time until they can gods damn smell her suffering and come to rescue her, so that I can rip her would-be saviors' throats out and watch them drown in their own blood. If you want the honor, we can share, and I will hold her frail body down while you take her to the verge of death in unspeakable agony. But letting her go? Letting the bitch who got a true man to sacrifice himself go?! I will fight you to the death before I let you waste his sacrifice. With all you've suffered, surely you would hold onto her too. Sheesh, and they say I'M the idiot here."

((Yeah, Tiberious isn't much better off than Thad right now. And zero offsense taken Lunarian, I like how this RP is playing out :). ))
 
T

ThLunarian

Member
Leo's mention of his friend's sacrifice is the one thing that finally gets Thaddeus to calm down, if only slightly. "Your... your friend's sacrifice was a noble one," he begrudgingly admits. "I'll not kick the girl out of the wagon, then."

He wrests free of Leo's grip. "Next time you touch me like that, you had best knock me out or kill me, for otherwise it will not go well for you."

He turns away from everyone as best he can. "Leave me be," he says angrily.
 
A

Axelhortsemchi

Member
Tiberious glares at Thaddeus in a manner filled with killing intent yet no animosity. "Is that so? I look forward to it, then. For now, our interests align on crushing another party; our deathmatch best wait until that is settled."
 
D

DeadPhoenix

Member
Draco just kind of watches the drama in silences... in small part because the thing he had planned to do was already enacted by the paladin, in a way.
 
M

Mike M

Nick N
Dreadstone settles back into his corner of the mechanized wagon. "All of us lost somethin' today," he says. "An' we're sure as hells not gonna get it back by turnin' on one 'nother. Dead gods help us, we're the last hope this kingdom's got, an' I don't intend to die a wanted man without takin' a mess of 'em with me. That's gonna be a lot harder for me if I have t'dump yer hides on the side of th'road 'cause y'all got a terminal case of the mopeys."
 
K

KittenMaster

Member
However thick the tension has gotten within the party, it does not slow the travel of the vehicle. During the night the songstress is reduced to a lifeless, half-sobbing body left alone.

<I woke up far too early and I need to get back to bed, so I decided to check on this thread. Too tired to write up the next destination though but you've seen Freetown before, you can probably just assume you are approaching it.>
 
T

ThLunarian

Member
Thaddeus has to visibly restrain himself from launching into another rant after Dreadstone's admonishing, but he manages to do so. He spends the rest of the ride in seething silence, and although he manages to sleep in his own little corner of the wagon, it's a fitful rest.

He is woken up by Curly's announcement that their destination is in sight. Thaddeus peeks outside to find the converted prison in much the same shape that they left it from last time. He squeezes the hilt of his sheathed sword to comfort himself as the ragtag rabble come into view.

An idea comes into his head. "Many of these men harbor contempt for the Drow and the Orphans, do they not? Perhaps we could use that to our advantage and mobilize an organized force of our own to combat them?"
 
K

KittenMaster

Member
Lovegood isn't sure whether to get out of the buggy or not, now that she is completely terrified of the party. Her neck is still bruised and she remains quiet and huddled. Forrester takes a moment to glance at how the prison has changed over time, and comments towards anyone that might hear, "To be honest I wasn't expecting the first place I would see after being rescued was the prison.."
 
A

Axelhortsemchi

Member
Tiberious shows interest in Thaddeus's idea. "Hmm, a makeshift army, huh? I like it. We'll have to figure out how combat ready they are as a group, though."
 
M

Mike M

Nick N
"Y'go t'war with the army you've got, not the army you want," Dreadstone says as he surveys the scene.

"Most of these men have an ax t'grind against the kingdom, so this is probably the one place we're welcome. We may be able to find a few men in fightin' shape who can help us out. At least to add more grist to the gears for a final suicide assault on Excalibur if nothin' else..."
 
K

KittenMaster

Member
As you approach the site, you can see a person trying to tell a story to whoever may be listening... Which is nobody, none of the Freetown people care to pay attention,

"Once formerly a knight harboring his own justice, Judgement had hand crafted the tenth hell captive to those he sees unfit to the good world; he hides his face under a masked helmet, for if one gazes upon the face of Judgement, they suffer a pain a magnitude that even the greatest of gods fear!"​
 
T

ThLunarian

Member
Thaddeus ignores the nondescript person while looking around to assess the place. "Well, we're here. Draco, this is your cue to gather the townsfolk. Though on further consideration... To where do we expect to lead them? We've no clue where Excalibur bases her operation." He throws up his hands and sighs. "What are we even doing here?!" he says loudly. He kicks the ground and marches into the 'town,' searching out a restaurant or a bar or somesuch.
 
K

KittenMaster

Member
The man, who is very much like the other prisoners looks over to the Paladin and simply smirks, giving a questioning voice, "Are you the judge... or will you be judged?"

By now some crude buildings are beginning to blossom under the work of the men, but some investigation of the site finds that there is a mess hall within the prison walls, as are barracks that has been converted into a small inn.
 
T

ThLunarian

Member
Thaddeus doubles back to the wagon after an idea strikes him. He removes his symbol-laden armor and deposits it there for safe keeping, wearing only the plain, clean clothing underneath.

Then he marches back to the mess hall and clears his throat. "I've a handsome reward for anyone who has information concerning the Thieves' Guild. I have business to conduct with them," he announces. He then finds someone who looks vaguely like a server and slaps five gold in front of them. "I'll have the strongest drink available."
 
K

KittenMaster

Member
Thaddeus receives a mug of hot tea with some goat's milk poured in. Baby steps to becoming a real town.

Thaddeus receives a lot of upset comments, "Screw them!", "Backstabbing sons of britches, the lot of them.", "They still haven't broken me out!"
 
T

ThLunarian

Member
Rolling his eyes,Thaddeus gulps down the decidedly nonalcoholic beverage.

He then turns to the last man who spoke up and gets close enough to have a conversation in a normal speaking voice. "Broke you out of what?" He asks. "How has the Thieves Guild wronged you? Perhaps my friends and I could exact vengeance for you. Or perhaps you'd like to help us."
 
M

Mike M

Nick N
Dreadstone stays under his hood, keeping a wary eye out and his back against solid surfaces. He may technically be an outlaw in the eyes of an illegitimate power on the throne, and these men may view Draco as their savior, but it doesn't take much for a hardened man to remember how he got where he is. And current events might not factor in to their thinking.

More than anything though, he worries about how he's going to deal with Thaddeus. Criminals and ne'er do wells, the bounty hunter can handle. He knows how they think, how they react. What he doesn't know is how to anticipate the moves of a paladin with a shattered faith lashing out at everything around him. At one point he had considered the transformed Drow something of a kindred spirit; both were military men struggling against the institutional bigotry of the organization. But now...

If anything, seeing Thaddeus break in this way has pulled Dreadstone back from the edge. He may very well be in a place that dark or even darker if the raving elf hadn't proceeded him down that path and given him pause to regain his senses.

Dreadstone leaves Thaddeus to his pursuits of alcohol and vengeance and seeks out Dortumn. "What of the soldiers we busted outta here? Any word on 'em?"
 
K

KittenMaster

Member
Many of the 'citizens' of Freetown are easily gathered around the mess hall to discuss what they know with Draco, "I've never been part of the guild myself, but some of us were. Apparently they don't actually care about a lot of their members, and a fast one pulled during a heist is a lot of why those that were in the guild are in the prison. Dunno what the guild is up to now, no doubt grown since then."

EDIT:

Dortumn answers Dreadstone, "Hopefully well. They are heading to Ruby Keep. As far as we know the guild has nothing on them."
 
A

Axelhortsemchi

Member
Tiberious is a little unsure of what to do when they get to the town. "I'd go get guys here ready to kill Orphans, but you have more clout with them than I do Draco. I'll just go get something to eat for now."

He makes his time in the cafeteria short. While he's not afraid of a potential fight with Thaddeus, he's at least aware enough that them barelling towards one in the short term will do nothing but harm.

Finding himself in a less populated section of the renovated prison, Tiberious pulls out the spear and mace given to him. As part of honoring the sacrifice, he must learn the fighting style of the former Avatar. Without anyone to teach him, he'll just have to do it himself.

Grasping a weapon in each hand, he begins moving through a series of practice swings. The motion is horribly awkward; it seems fighting with two weapons is completely different than fighting with one. He finds himself frequently fumbling them and growing increasingly frustratrated, eventually lashing out at a nearby wall. Taking a minute to calm himself, he continues with this seemingly fruitless exercise.

Tiberious will continue training until interrupted or until collapsing from exhaustion.
 
T

ThLunarian

Member
Thaddeus grows increasingly impatient with how long this process is taking, and how little is getting accomplished. His inability to get a drink isn't helping his mood; eventually he stands up in a chair and screams to the entire mess hall.

"LISTEN UP! Something tells me the Thieves' Guild has a presence in this town, even if they're not making themselves known! If I'm right and you're lurking here in the shadows somewhere, then hear this, you bottom-feeding sons of whores! Your boss's precious Miss Lovegood is in OUR clutches! That's right - she is alive, and she is at our mercy! Completely HELPLESS! If your organization ever wants to see her again, tell them to come find us! And if you see Excalibur, tell her that if she's woman enough to meet me face to face, I'LL KILL HER!"

Having said his peace, Thaddeus hops down from the chair and marches out of the mess hall, back to the wagon.
 
K

KittenMaster

Member
Lovegood is still in the wagon, but Forrester and Curly and his associates are nearby too.

After the drow knight storms off and yells, the middle aged man continues speaking to the rest of the party, "Right then.. I don't think we're quite ready to be an army yet.. but if you need something else that we could possibly help with, don't be afraid to speak up."

<I'm assuming you guys still want to go to Alydar?>
 
M

Mike M

Nick N
((Now that we’re actually in Freetown, I’m kind of at a loss for what to do outside of maybe staging an intervention for Thaddeus (heh). I guess I had thought that the troops we freed from here who were coming to reinforce us during the fight with Lovegood would be on “our side” against the government and follow us here and form the competent core of a rebellion augmented by the prisoners who were willing to fight, but they all went back to Ruby Keep (Which makes sense, they weren’t the wanted ones/may have believed the lies about us, etc.). Without them, Idunno. I guess we could imprison Lovegood, leave Dortumn, Curly, and Curly’s orc partner to keep her safe from the other prisoners? Maybe Forrester can stay too? If there’s a definitive authority figure we can talk to, we may be able to continue with the rebellion idea by arranging some training while we figure a way to get to Alydar to have Thaddeus’s curse lifted or whatever.

I guess we're also down a centaur, I presume he probably got himself captured.))
 
K

KittenMaster

Member
<I intended this place to be a way to allow yourself to safely progress to Alydar. I think I'll go ahead and have NPCs give suggestion on their usefulness.>

The former prisoners begin to brainstorm, "We're burglars, scoundrels, and thieves. If we could get into a good city, we could possibly steal ourselves some weapons to help you with."

Another snaps his fingers, "I was a swindler! Can still be! Knew how to oil up armor well enough to pass off as magical. I bet I could fool a mage into thinking the cursed armor and sword you have with you as being more powerful than your ordinary armor. We could use some of our oxen as steeds and dress up that wagon as a travelling merchant band with weapons and armor on display, we could possibly fool anybody wanting to check us!"

---

As Thaddeus approaches the wagon on his own, he hears a voice behind him, "Well.. well.. well... A man of the underdark who only now learned what it is like to be abandoned by his people." When he looks behind, he'll see a Drow, with the right hand resting under the hilt of a fencing blade, with a small shield opposite the belt and goggles over his eyes, "I was abandoned by the queen along with many of my people, exiled away from everything I had thought I known. Even when I was still home, male members of society were practically slaves, the lowest of the low. I was hated simply for being a masculine Drow. You were hated simply for being a Drow among surface creatures. Even being a noble couldn't make you any better than anyone else... and now, just as we were abandoned, the surface Queen had abandoned you. You have lost everything dear to you, just as I had lost my brother to this war."

He smirks as he gazes over, "The dimness in your eyes only makes it easier to see the hate seething within. I may have done despicable acts to enact my revenge, but would you have done different? We have quite a few similarities."
 
T

ThLunarian

Member
Thaddeus glares at the man. The sight of another Drow only makes his anger boil over again.

"Consider yourself lucky that you were not cast aside at infancy, as I was. And no, I did not resort to 'despicable acts.' The innocent are still worthy of protection; that much has not changed. If you have a point, you'd best get to it quickly."

((In character, Thaddeus no longer cares about going to Alydar. Out of character, it makes sense that that would be the next stop))
 
K

KittenMaster

Member
"Oh really? You assume that me and my brother were not, perhaps abandoned and sent to be raised as workers in our own infancy because male Drow are undesired in families. There was a point where suddenly we weren't even allowed to be content servants before being thrust onto the surface! Surely you must have had a more fulfilling life before being cast aside, and a longer one as well."

He points, "That hatred you harbor for me is how I feel about those that had slain my brother. It fascinates me to see how a Drow raised up so differently in a completely different world than I is, ultimately fueled by the same passions. You speak of protecting innocents, but there are no more innocents to protect. All in this world are now your enemy, and your god is deceased; there is nobody to stop you from true freedom of your emotions."
 
T

ThLunarian

Member
Thaddeus narrows his eyes and draws his sword. "I know exactly who my enemies are, and you appear to be among them. You've made a grave error in approaching me, cur. Prepare to be skewered by a blade of vengeance."


Initiative (1d20=5)
 
K

KittenMaster

Member
He himself draws his rapier, but soon discards his shield and armor, to match Thaddeus' state, "You are not one that had helped in my brother's death, but if you wish to try to lay me to rest with him, so be it."

Init: 1d20+4=11

The drow raises up his rapier and stands guard. <Full Defense.>
 
T

ThLunarian

Member
"RRRAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Suddenly an explosion of rage accompanies two vicious, brutal strikes as Thaddeus lunges forward with a mighty heave, using both hands to tear into the Drow with his sword. He pours his very soul into the blow, giving it a supernatural quality that he isn't even sure will work.

((Using Smite Evil on this dude))

Full Attack with Smite Evil; damage; second attack; damage (1d20+16=31, 1d8+17=25, 1d20+11=31, 1d8+17=25)

Critical Confirmation and extra damage (1d20+11=31, 1d8+17=22)

((If he's not evil, subtract 3 from each attack roll and 9 from each damage roll))
 
K

KittenMaster

Member
T

ThLunarian

Member
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRNoLkns2eM&list=PLirSddeMOYZ75CMzuNvra_z-0uFnuQcrg&index=17

Thaddeus grits his teeth, but otherwise barely reacts to the unseemly cut in his abdomen. He summons all the internal strength he can muster, and a white light radiates from his midsection, doing much to staunch the blood loss and partially close the wound.

This doesn't cause him to skip a beat at all; rather, he redoubles his attack, amplifying its viciousness by sacrificing some precision.

"THIS IS FOR MY FAMILY!" he yells with the first swing, and "THIS IS FOR MY KINGDOM!" accompanies the second.

((Swift Action: Lay on Hands; Full Attack on Drow. I put all the rolls in the same thing; the 2d6 is how much HP I just healed))

Lay On Hands HP healed; Power Attack for 3; Damage; Second Power Attack for 3; Damage (2d6=10, 1d20+13=18, 1d8+26=30, 1d20+8=27, 1d8+26=34)

Crit Confirm and Damage (1d20+8=15, 1d8+26=28)

((EDIT: Ugh that's what I get from trying to do this from memory on mobile. My strength mod is actually 1 higher than I thought, so 1 should've been added to pretty much every roll I've made so far. I'l lleave it up to you on whether to include it or not))
 
K

KittenMaster

Member
When the others arrive onto the scene, they will witness a warrior tearing into whom Draco and Dreadstone recognize as Adel. The enemy of the two Drow drops to his knees as his body is split open, rifts in his skin simmering with white flame; he musters a last, fading, "Brother... I made sure my death was as gruesome as... I had seen yours..."

The younger of the girls attempts to come out and look at the death, but her eyes are quickly shielded by Forrester's, who is shaking her head and redirecting the young teenager back into the buggy.
 
D

DeadPhoenix

Member
((only 2d6 from lay on hands? shouldn't you be at 4d6 by now?))

After watching the gruesome scene Draco decides to have a few words with Dreadstone, "I feel Thaddeus may be becoming a... liability. At least Leo knows when to hold back, he's just lashing out at everything. Which is especially strange since I thought paladins were all about self control. I always figured a drow would be trouble, but not like this." after a moment of silence, the investigator begins laughing to himself, "Strange that after 'becoming' the elf he always wanted to be, he becomes the more like the drow he always hated. Maybe trying to hide from himself wasn't the best idea."
 
K

KittenMaster

Member
<BTW, Adel dropped +4 Rapier called Demon's Needle, a design similar to Dreadstone's bow, a +2 Bucker, a +2 Mithral Shirt, and a +2 Cloak of Resistance.>
 
M

Mike M

Nick N
Dreadstone nods at Draco's assessment. "I was havin' the same thought," he says under his breath so that the half-elf is the only one to hear. "But I'm not sure what t'do 'bout it."
 
T

ThLunarian

Member
((Didn't even know that Lay on Hands improved with level. The extra d6 was from a feat I took, so actually I should be at 5d6. Wow paladins are good))

Breathing heavily, Thaddeus looks at his traveling companions. "One down," he says, "A few hundred to go."

He wipes the blood from his weapon and puts the blade back in its sheath, and walks off somewhere to be alone.
 
D

DeadPhoenix

Member
((They make great tanks without having to have AC so high they are unhitable, possibly causing the enemy to change targets and ruining the whole point of being a tank.
Also, those are some amazing drops, to bad my dex focus build makes them useless to me(not including the stuff I already have anyways). Although, if that rapier had agile on it...))
 
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