It's been a while, feels great being back! |
Dramatis Personae
- Avarice Avernus, Mummy Matriarch and Skilled Duelist, played by Jen (Mommy)
- Annaria Avernus, Dhampir Daughter and Scout, played by Evie
- Adelaide Avernus, Shade Daughter and White Witch, played by Carrie
- Cole, Ophidian Assassin, played by Dylan
- Rogan, Vargr Berserker, played by Craig
- Rudolpho, Cranium Rat Spokesvermin, played by Cooper (4 years old)
Clockwise from left, Evie, Carrie, Dylan, Craig, Cooper, and the back of my wife's head |
- Campaign Design
- Character Design
- Session 1: An Addled Arrival
- Session 2: Many as One
- Session 3: Expedition to Arachnis' Lair, Part One
- Session 4: Expedition to Arachnis' Lair, Part Two
- Session 5: Expedition to Arachnis' Lair, Part Three
WFF - Witchmark Friends Forever! |
Reservations for Five
Ramel's contacts in Augsing reported that several members of the Avernus family had returned from the Bane War as Accursed, taking up residence in their ancestral home to the south of the city. All three family members were cruel and malicious undead, who lived in a house infested with mind-controlling rats. Just recently the three hellspawned undead infiltrated a local crypt, freed a spider-demon, and brought it back to their estate as a new ally.
Yes, the Avernus's had to be destroyed, and their home burned to the ground.
Wait…
… oh yeah, I think we're coming at this story from the wrong angle… I can fix that.
Avarice Avernus was rather thrilled this evening. Two of her dear friends and compatriots during the first months following the Bane War, Cole and Rogan, were coming by to visit and perhaps stay at Muridae Manor. You see, life for a member of the Accursed was difficult in Morden. Even though they were free to try and battle the Witches and thus save their own souls (which incidentally usually meant helping out local towns), members of the Accursed still got very little respect. So Cole and Rogan would probably be staying at Muridae Manor for a little while, just until they could get on their feet.
Much to the delight of the Avernus Family Matriarch, her new housekeeper Arachnis (as in, the ex-Demon Spider) was also an incredible cook, and by the time Uncle Nester brought Cole and Rogan into Muridae Manor, dinner was ready. Cole, an Ophidian and partial to live food, was delighted that a live chicken was waiting on his plate, while the Vargr Rogan started feasting on a smashed pile of ground beef. For the Dhampir Annaria a few pints of blood, and Adelaide just a few peas and a carrot. Shades don't need to eat much. Avarice, a Mummy, was fine with a teacup, but since she was undead, she didn't need any actual tea. Just the motion of bringing the cup to the face of her sarcophagus armor was fine for Avarice. It truly was a pleasant dinner.
That's right about when Uncle Nester had to interrupt and alert the Avernus family and their guests to a situation that was brewing outside. An adventuring party was approaching!
Very quickly Annaria led Cole and Rudolpho to Muridae Manor's tower, taking the stairs while Adelaide followed behind, becoming incorporeal so that she could pass through the floors. A straight line is always the quickest! From atop the tower, Annaria took a look north and saw a quintet of brave heroes, three humans, an elf, and a dwarf, approaching the home. Annaria was an incredible scout during the Bane War, and could've spent a few moments silently observing the adventurers learning their weaknesses. But the chipper half-vampire thought that a warm welcome was in order and called out a greeting.
The adventuring party's mage summoned forth a blast of explosive skulls that detonated right in poor little Annaria's face!
Picture by Carrie |
It was on!
While Annaria shook off her newfound headache, Cole grabbed his longbow and daggers and ran to down the building's wall towards the adventurers. When the Ophidian reached the end, however, they were gone… or at least they seemed gone.
THWACK!
A pair of daggers hit Cole. The first bounced off of his tough skin while the second, aimed for the serpent's face, skewered Cole's hand when he brought it up to shield his eyes. Adelaide flew across the wall as well and stood side by side with Cole, looking down at the Marcus Two-Hands the Thief. She tried to summon forth a hex, throwing a stunning curse down upon the knave, but it had no effect. Adelaide turned to her teammate just in time to watch him lick one of his arrows. The Ophidian had a poisonous saliva capable of paralyzing foes, and it only took one arrow to put the Thief down. Wounded and unable to move, Adelaide hovered down and shot Marcus Two-Hands in the face with one of her pistols. So that was the end of him.
Meanwhile, in the dining room of Muridae Manor, Avarice Avernus was begging and pleading with her Cranium Rat compatriots to aid in the defense of their home. Unfortunately, Rudolpho didn't seem entirely interested. Avarice figured the rats were afraid, but the reality was that they were just hungry, and there was a lot of cheese on the dinner table still. Besides, the Avernus family had this handled… pretty much.
Right?
Rogan didn't seem so sure. On one side of the dining room the Vargr Berserker heard the crunch of glass and stone, while across from the chamber, just outside of the courtyard, the Elven Ranger was setting up a position to snipe. Rogan wasn't going to just sit around and wait for something to come flying through the window. The lycanthrope grabbed his hand axes and charged across the courtyard, straight into Fox. The Ranger parried the first attacks with his bow and then drew his short sword, slashing wildly at his foe, but the Vargr was too powerful. After taking a slash across the chest, giving him a rather close shave actually, Rogan put his axe into the head of the Elf and took the ears as trophies.
Back in the dining room Avarice Avernus was by herself when she heard the sound of footsteps coming down the adjacent hallway. Glancing around the corner, the Mummy Duelist saw the Dwarf, the Warrior, and the Mage making their way into Muridae Manor. Avarice retreated behind the wall, and then drew her blades. With a swift kick, the Mummy exploded through the wall, sinking both her long sword and heavy rapier into the poor Mage Merula Lanus.
Oh yeah!
Avarice was proud of her work as she gazed down upon her defeated enemy, but now found herself outnumbered. But not for long. Annaria had just recovered from being blasted by the Mage's spell. After unnaturally bounding down the hall towards her mother, the Dhampir carefully aimed her musket and put a bullet into the Dwarven War Priest. Annaria then dropped her musket and drew her crossbow, putting a bolt into the bold Ramel Ramelson. For the dwarf, things were not going as planned.
Annaria (Evie) to the rescue! |
Positioning himself back to back with his Warrior associate Gar, Ramel prepared for a last stand. The Dwarf could handle a Mummy, and maybe even the Dhampir, but soon the Vargr arrived, and then the Shade, and finally the Ophidian. It was five on two for a few moments, until Ramel swung his hammer one last time.
Five on one.
Gar Ironhelm never wanted to come to Augsing. He was fairly content just being a local town guard in Palmyria, but signed up with Ramel Ramelson because the perks were good, and there was a promise of riches beyond comprehension. But where did that land him? The poor warrior was standing in the middle of a circle of vicious and evil monsters… toying with him. The creatures kept trying to hit him, clubbing at him with staves, slashing with blades, and hacking with axes. Gar's armor kept him safe, for the most part, but the Warrior couldn't break free, even after going into a crazy frenzy. Eventually there was nothing he could do, and when the last axe slashed across his helmet, Gar accepted his soul's release.
All for one, one for Monsters! |
Quotes
Jim: "Why are you in Augsing?"
Dylan: "To find food and money!"
Jim: "So what do you eat?"
Dylan: "Chicken McNuggets!"
"If I was Frank I would've played a character with boobs." - Craig
[Jen was getting ready to have Avarice kick through a wall]
Jim: "You'll damage your house!"
Jen: "My house is already a mess… and I sleep in a sarcophagus."
"I believe guests are supposed to KNOCK!" - Avarice, as she kicked through a wall and attacked the adventuring party's mage.
"More daggers for YOU!" - Marcus Two-Hand's battle cry, just before blasting poor Cole.
"OH YEAH!" - Jim and Craig both kept doing Kool Aid Man impressions.
Savage Worlds is an incredible system by Shane Hensley. I'm sure you've already heard of it, but if not, go give it a look!
Really?
No comments:
Post a Comment