I think a few more cultists just got paged.  They forgot to bring their vampire to the Ritual.

that IMMEDIATELY jumped into my head!

Seeing as how the others have spelled their intentions out pretty plainly, I'll see about getting a post up soonishly.

Disney + is incredible.  Movies, Disney Afternoon shows... it goes on and on.

Heh... DEAD zone.  I love it.

Hush, Bree.  For now, Kith just gets to relax and enjoy the show. 

Hey breebles, will you shoot MagicMan a PM if he hasn't reached out to you?  He was asking about having Eric drop by sickbay, wanting my guidance on when that should happen. 

Battlefate is not on your sheet, Brom, as it isn't a spell from any of the core rulebooks or typical expansions (Tome of Magic, Complete Book of X Series, etc).  However, I did find it in a Forgotten Relams source and on multiple online sites, and since it is geared towards Battle (and fits your character's religion), I'm cool with allowing it. 

Cedric will not have the spell. 

To be clear, the plan is:

1. Heal and buff spells prior to entering the temple.
2. Gib casts hold on Garn.
3. Aranwen makes for Davena, Ch'dau makes for Garn.
4. Gib fires crossbow at Davena. 
5. Melee, with Cedric moving to heal and support.

Do I have this correct?

I've been a grizzled old Wizard since my twenties.  Not changing now!

More topical - heard back from MagickMan65, he does want in!

Thank you all for the good times you bring to my life!

There are no visible ropes or restraints, but cleric magic provides plenty of opportunities to keep someone immobile.

I'll try to get a map up tonight.

Do what you like.  Do note that divine attacks against a high priestess in her actual temple are not going to work at peak efficiency.

I am literally HURTING for Aranwen.

Why, oh why can I only applaud someone once per thread?  Who designed that stupid feature, anyway?

I expect this is going to hang around and torture me all weekend.  All of use 'Muricans have Thanksgiving tomorrow, I'll be doing Black Friday, and it'll be a crazy few days. 

Bleh.

It's about to be Black Friday/Cyber Monday.  Lots of folks shop Amazon.  If you are goingto do so, please consider hitting the Inn's Amazon link before you order!

There are probably twenty robed figures in this room.  Nice question... and a spot check says that Garn in, in fact, one of the figured on the dais, all standing off to the side like he's trying to be low key. 

Of these figures, who knows how many are priests/acolytes and how many are actual clerics (i.e. can cast spells)?  Or how many are loyal to Davena vs your benefactor?

You think that you have some control over your lives.  You think that your actions are your own, that your path is the one that you choose to take.  But the Mistress of Sands already knows your choices before you make them, knows the outcome of your ventures before you begin to undertake them.  How, then, can you claim to be naught but puppets of the whims of Fate?

-Alcarus Faldhall, Musings on the Nature of Reality

Once the party is fully equipped and prepared, the dark-haired priest takes the lead, striding confidently down the hall.  "There will be no sentries on the route we take," he explains.  "First, there is no threat here below the surface.  Second... virtually all of the faith are in the temple, where we are going, anyway."

From time to time, you pass the odd ghoul or zombie, but they do nothing to block your path.  A cross corridor is taken, some stairs going up... soon, you are in a far better lit area.

The priest holds up a hand for caution, then calls a halt.  You can hear the sound of voices chanting from beyond the doorway at the end of this hall. "We are nearly there; this doorway opens into the temple itself. Do any of you have any final preperations to make?  If so, this is your final opportunity."

OOC: the priest stops to give you a chance for readying any weapons, casting any spells, etc

When everyone is ready, the priest smiles.  "I would wish the Devourer's blessings on your efforts... but I doubt that you would accept them, anyway.  Perhaps Shinara will be on your side this day, instead."  With that, he steps into the temple.

This is a large, open room with a raised dais on the far end, away from you.  The sconces dot the wall at regular intervals, casting the weird greenish light in stronger intensity than anywhere else you have been so far in this place.  A dark stone altar stands near the front edge of the dais, rougly centered on the platform.  There are quite a few dark robed individuals on the lower floor, chanting in unison, with their attention turned to the dais.  In addition, several undead are present further behind the worshippers.

On the dais itself is a large crystalline sculture with a silver inlaid skull on its face; the skull has stones set into its eyes that radiate with a strong, deep purple light.

Two bodies lie to either side of the sculpture... on male, one female; both appear to have their throats cut, and both lie in pools of blood.

One ghoul and three dark robed figures stand at various places on the dais, all with their attention to the center.

An oddly curved piece of wooden furniture stands here.  On it, dressed in a white gown, lies a young woman with her feet higher than her head.  It takes several moments to recognize that the young woman - minus her normal gear, with her hair brushed out and her face flushed nearly crimson - is, in fact, Kithran.

Coming up from a kneeling position by Kithran's legs is a radiant blonde woman dressed in dark robes.  She turns toward you, casually wiping her face with the back of her sleeve... when she does, there can be no doubt as to her identity.  Not with the way that everyone seems to subconsciuosly defer to this woman who effortlessly radiates power and authority.  This is the Mistress, D'hurgen's High Priestess; she can be no one else.

This is Davena.

That meme game! 

Also, check out the new avatars!

...I'll have a post up today to move things to the Big Shebang.

There are some STINKERS this week!

Bears
Cowboys
Saints
Packers
Bengals
Chiefs
Eagles
Ravens
Buccaneers
Titans
Panthers
Rams
Browns
Chargers
Patriots
Seahawks

Moved topic to Spamvertize.

I would dearly LOVE to go back and edit the early part of the game, before all of the current players came in.  Have the current players breathe real life into those characters... I think that this thing would make an excellent novel, I truly do. 

Ladies and gentlemen, the time has come.  We are now hurtling towards the climax of this story.  I'm not going to lie... I am actually nervous.  I've run so many games through the years, but I don't think I have ever felt like this.  Excited, sure.  A little sad to reach the end, maybe.  But I'm legitimately nervoous, desperately hoping that this story ends in a way that everyone will appreciate (hello, I know that "enjoy" may be too tall of an order, given the life/death stuff here). 

I'm deeply invested here.  I carried this tale around for so long... and then, it was all about to come to a disappointing, premature end in the woods.  So I pulled a deux ex machina to save the day, to keep the story going.  I then made a choice to fundamentally alter the tale I had been planning to tell... and in the process, have been treated to some of the absolute best play I have ever dreamed of - let alone witnessed.

This is not the story I thought I was telling.  It has grown, taken on a life of its own, become something different, more intense, more personal.  And that honestly scares me a bit. 

I sincerely hope that you all enjoy the finale. 

I LOVE it.  I love world building, I love languages! 

I, for once, find that to be an outstansding way to create a language.  Why reinvent every portion of the wheel?  If Tolkein can do that and be a genius, you can do it and be cool around here. 

Looks like everyone who CAN post has done so (sorry, Kith).  Guess I'll have to bump things along shortly...

The level of play and writing skill here continues to astound me.