Would just like to thank Gary Gygax, for such an incredible game, and our host Vorrioch, for an amazing session. We ran him long and hard into the night, and he ran us long and hard with all assortments of nasty enemies.

So Kudos to you both, I had a blast, and can't wait for another chance to bring out Emmerus Zane, crotchety priest of Pelor who'se too darn stubborn to retire.

Yeah... way to go, Vorrioch! I thoroughly enjoyed my time.

I'm not sure I'd be interested in another forum-based game. BUT if you're ever thinking of running another chat-based game, look me up. I'm usually free on Friday-Monday nights. And would definitely be up for something like this again.

Thanks for making it happen, Vorrioch! Well done!

Ayrn

Vorriock. Thanks 10 to the 10th power for the great game. I played all SAaturday and got in on the final scens of the Saturday gamet to It was lots of fun. Even if I had to share my character with my sister becausw e we have only one PC hooked up to Internet

A memorial service was held on the green outside the village church a five-day after the warrens beneath the old keep were finally cleaned out. Twice more the intrepid heroes chanced the labyrinth of dark passages beneath the earth, not resting until every last one of the shambling, restless dead had fallen before their ready blades, spells and arrows and the souls trapped within granted oblivion.

The service was well attended, folk from the hamlets and farmsteads a full twenty-mile from Lostwithial (having lost friends or kin themselves or simply wishing to show solidarity with those who’d suffered loss) flocking to the village to pay their respects to the dead. Five rows of graves, each adorned with flowers or other remembrances, had been dug in the hard ground at the churchyard’s far end and a slow file of mourners proceeded past each as the afternoon wore on to pay their last respects to the dead.

Father Johan, the village priest, an elderly cleric of Pelor, led the service giving a simple, but moving sermon in memory of the fallen villagers. He offers sincere thanks on behalf of the entire village to the company of bold adventurers who had four times risked their lives to put paid to the evil presence in the old ruined keep. Not all the townsfolk seem quite as grateful, many no doubt bitterly remonstrating that more was not somehow done to rescue their murdered loved ones, but little is said openly and on the whole the village seems to desire little more than to mourn for a time, come to terms with the loss and move on with their lives. The county sheriff, having already paid the group their promised two hundred golden crowns has little more to do with the affair, duly attending the funerals but saying little to make his opinions known.

***

The vast ironbound chest hauled from the dungeon’s furthest reaches is finally dismantled and pried apart with the ready use of a hammer and chisel in the home of a local carpenter. Amidst a tangled heap of clothes, boots and other personal accoutrements a vast heap of gold and silver coinage- several hundred crowns in all- glitters in the room’s bright lamplight. Astrological equipment, star maps and other sundry trinkets which the party struggles to identify are to be found amidst the accumulated debris, but though a good many of the more obscure items radiate some manner of enchantment the party is at loss to discover their true purpose.

The mace recovered from Sorudin’s witchly consort, her discarded alabaster skin, and the huge battleaxe pried from the butchered ogre’s twitching paws also radiate some manner of dark sorcery. Father Johan simply advises that the things be consecrated and destroyed outright…. though perhaps the group might find some more profitable use for these ensorcelled items?

***

The evening after the funerals are held, the group are approached by a familiar figure, that of the young woman rescued from the old elfish temple, guided by an earnest looking young man you have been led to understand is her brother. She looks a little better than when you saw her last, but remains deathly pale, her eyes red from crying.

“I… I just want to thank you for what you did back there,” she begins hesitantly, refusing to look up and make eye contact with any in the group. “We’d all have died back there in that awful place if you hadn’t come to help us.”

“We all want to thank you,” her brother reiterates firmly. “A lot of people here in this village… well, they seem to want to put you down and what you did. But I just want to let you know that you’re heroes, every last one of you.”

The pair turn to depart, but not before he presses a small cloth pouch into the hands of Isilfeline, the closest party member. Assuming that this gift is accepted, the group find a meagre haul of coin inside- perhaps five crowns in all- in assorted silver and copper currency.

***

Of Jagna Firetouched and the other kobolds there is no further sign: the group simply vanishing into the overgrown forest, or perhaps journeying on in search of better fortune elsewhere.

Fearful of any renewed undead incursion the villagers heap the bodies of the slaughtered ogre, kobolds and hobgoblins on one great mass pyre out in the forest, charring them away until nothing more than blackened bones and ashes remain.

***

In his dreams Emmerus stands once more in the circular, crystal chamber. A hundred- no a thousand- flashes of pure, molten magical energy shake back and fourth across the broad cavern, bathing it in a searing, unearthly light as the floor burns and smoulders underfoot. Wraithlike, shadowy apparitions, spindly creatures resembling nothing so much as the distorted shadows of elves, spin from the rocks overhead, flying pell-mell in a great, huddling cluster from crystal-encrusted wall to crystal-encrusted wall and chittering in untold dozens of alien, insect tongues.

“Revive!” the shadows scream, in a dark chorus of babbling voices. And though the syllables- some long forgotten dialect of the present elfish speech- are lost to him the cleric can discern their meaning readily enough.
“Return!”
“Rejoin!”
“Rebirth!”
“Revenge!”
“One - Final - Cheated - Moment!”
“We!” “Will!” “Live!” “Again!”

Disappearing into one another, the elf-spirits merge into one great, churning mass: a vast figure of purest shadow that somehow burns brighter than the sun itself, radiant with the unnatural light of the luminescent crystals. “Mine,” the towering behemoth intones, fixing the priest of Pelor with a fiery stare, as its dark visage is burned into the deepest crevices of his mind.

***

Already bleeding heavily from a wicked cut from the ranger, Arys Lotusbane’s, sword the half-drow flickered and faded, his image jolting wildly in all direction in the pale lantern light. Sorudin unleashed another flurry of blows upon Emmerus, but he was already dematerialising and his sword passed harmlessly through the aging cleric’s armour and flesh. There was another flash of blinding azure light, accompanied by what could have been either a roar of triumph, or a cry of utter despair, and the sorcerer was gone.

***

On a barren hillside some distance away, the half-elfish wizard re-emerged, collapsing to his hands and knees on the cold earth as blood gushed from the wound at his side. Had any other been there to see it, they would have perceived a cloud of what could almost have been fireflies- apparitions burning with a pale, unearthly fire- swarming about the fallen sorceror. Sorudin screamed again, but the only sound to issue forth from his gaping mouth was that of a score of competing, chittering voices, the still night air alive with the rapid-fire babble of their long-dead tongues.
If it wasn’t obvious already, I am most definitely interested in continuing this game.

I’d like to thank everyone who turned out to play on either evening again, it would be fantastic to see as many of you as possible again when the adventure restarts. It was also great to see so many people turning up even if just to lurk for awhile (especially RotS, who was probably online longer than I was), if you’d like to take part in the action firsthand next time round, please just give me a shout and we can sort out a character.

I’ll post further details as and when I’ve worked them out myself. Assuming people are still up for it, the best option seems to be to run on Friday or Saturday nights in chat. (Though I’ll generally aim to end each session by about 2 pm at the latest.) If some other day or time would suit you better, or if you’d be free to start before 10 pm GMT, please let me know so we can sort something out.

Emmerus isn't ready for retirement yet. There be women and booty to cavort with lo, and wayward sons and daughters e'er to be instructed in the ways of the Sun-father.

I'm definately still in.
Thank you so much for that epilogue, was nice to see what we reaped from our efforts.

I'm in aswell. I had a good time doing that.

If I remember correctly, the following people have expressed some interest in playing:

• Ayrn - Aranel Eärfalas [Elven Mage/ Thief]? Or Devlin Burrberry [Halfling Thief]?
• Brianna - Isilfeline [Elven Fighter]
• Kaelyn - Emmerus Zane [Human Cleric]
• Silent One - Arys Lotusbane [Elven Ranger]

The Characters
Ayrn: Could you tell me whether you’d prefer to continue playing as Aranel or Devlin?

If anyone would prefer to gen up a new character, then please just let me know. For obvious reasons, though, (i.e. you’ve all just struck plot in a big way) I’d prefer to see as many of the same characters as possible. If anyone feels particularly inclined to write up a background now that we’re no longer playing a one-off then please send it on to me… it’s not compulsory by any means but it could be helpful to know as much about your characters as possible.

Oh, and DragonMistress? if you and Brianna would both like to take part in this one, why not just run your characters together on the same computer (like Kaelyn and SilentOne have done for the last couple of sessions)?

The Game
Provisionally: Is it okay to assume that the next session will run on Friday night, from 10 pm to 2 pm GMT? This may change, as it will be my first weekend back home from uni over Easter and I’m still not quite sure if anything’s been planned. Either way I’ll try to let you all know as soon as possible.

Finally, while this campaign (or any of the others I’ve enjoyed playing in over the last ten years) would never have been possible without Gary Gygax, I don’t really feel comfortable with using his name to promote a game that’s no longer connected to GaryCon. Therefore, I’m going to set up new Recruitment and Q&A threads later today in which the adventure can hopefully continue.

I figure you meant 10pm -2am your time... which is fine by me!

I’ve opened up a new Q&A thread for the game ( link ) and will start writing up a new recruitment post shortly.

Unless you tell me otherwise I’m assuming that you’re keeping all of the items recovered from the ruined elven temple. The sheriff divided the 200 gp reward equally between the six characters who helped clear out the keep- any other funds can be distributed between the party as you wish.

Also, did Emmerus return the oil flasks and scroll to the villagers? If so, I’ll take them off of your inventory.

While I had initially meant, "Hey, if you're doing another 'one-shot' adventure via chat, look me up." A whole regular campaign might be interesting

I have plans for this Friday night. Is Saturday open and a possibility? If the majority can make it on Friday night, though, then I'll just have to miss this round.

Regardless, if the time stays at 10 PM - 2 AM GMT, I believe I will always be late. 10 PM GMT is 5 PM over here... right during the supper hour, which is the craziest time around our house (kids tired, trying to get food into them, and get them to bed.) 11:30 PM GMT is about the earliest I could show. I can play later than 2 AM GMT, though.

And if this is going to be regular affair, I think I'll also only be able to commit to meeting every other week.

Otherwise, I'm in. OIr, at least, give it a try. Our session had an almost tabletop feel, which was refreshing. I haven't played a tabletop game for nearly 3 years.

Anyway, hit me back!

Ayrn.

Either Friday or Saturday night would be fine for me. When can everyone else make it?

As far as I’m concerned, the start time isn’t much of an issue. I suggested 10 pm as I was guessing that it wouldn’t be too early for most players living in the USA or Canada and as it would give us a reasonable amount of time to play each evening. I can understand that real life and family need to take priority for you… but I’m not going to be able to commit to running much beyond 2pm for much the same reasons. I’ve got final exams to revise for over Easter and if I’m not able to get to sleep before about 4-5 am I won’t be able to work the next day.

If you’d like to drop in and out every other week then that’s fine with me, I’m sure we can find a decent reason IC for your character being at some sessions but missing others. Ditto for dropping into each session a bit late each game night… if you’re still interested in playing I’m sure we can find a way to make it work.

Also, I totally agree with what you said about the tabletop feel. I got the same impression from both nights’ sessions and really hoped that everyone else did too. It’s been a while since I last played a proper tabletop game of D&D either.

I work both nights, starting at 11pm my time, but we usually finish playing around 8-9pm my time so either day is fine. If Ayrn can only make it saturday (which means Brianna/DragonMistress won't due to their real life tabletop game) what it really comes down to is swapping one player for the other... one can make some friday sessions, and some can make saturday.. SilentOne and I can make either.. so really it's your call DM.

I'm only busy this Friday (currently atleast)... we can keep it on Fridays... I just can't make it this Friday.

We'll run again this Friday, and I'll assume that Ayrn's character took a slightly different route and won't be along until the next session. Given the campaign background I've been working on that shouldn't be a problem and will actually make perfect sense IC.

BTW Ayrn... have you decided who you'd like to play for this one? It would be really helpful to know who we'll have in the party.

Friday is the best day for DM and myself. We run Aroind the table games on every Saturday. until we can get another PC we sill share Isilifeline