Nice job, Brom. 

Man, every post is a treat to read.

Hey folks.

I have reached out privately to a couple of you, and then realized that this really deserves to be more of a group announcement.

I've made joking references to the ick factor ramping up heavily in the near future, which is absolutely the case.  The final act of this story takes the plot into incredibly disturbing, dark places.  You've seen the "silver screen" posts that look into some of the dark forces and their activites, so you know at least some of what is going on.

As anyone with any sense of plot can tell, the party is about to find themselves in the middle of these goings-on.  This is some very dark, twisted, horrific, adult-oriented territory we are about to travel.  And yes, I've warned about it from the beginning.

With that said, this is a game.  The entire point of playing a game is to have fun. 

Therefore, if things get too dark or out of hand, please feel free to reach out to me privately, and I will edit or tone things down.   The base plot is here, but I don't want to trigger anyone, to cause anyone to feel uncomfortable - I don't want to kill anyone's fun.  You are playing heros who stop evil, so I don't want to focus on the evil so much as to legitimately bother anyone. 

I'm of the mindset that we truly see the light when it is contrasted with the darkness, so my intention is to delve into that darkness.  But again, this is a game - I do not want to cause offense or hurt feelings in any of you.  If it goes too far, do not hesitate to reach out.

I...

Er...

Well, shucks.  So it is.

Dang, what a great gif!

The Inn started on Angelfire, not Geocities. 

Peasant.

Just wanted to point out what a superb "fluff" post Reralae just made.  Really breathed life into the character, I absolutely LOVED it.

To be fair, I've left some of the worst details out for him.  And he's still got some more kid-oriented details in mind... but he helped me figure out the framework that works. 

That said, one of his ideas - while perhaps not as horrible as what I had in mind - was a pretty direct "screw you guys, you're gonna die" type thing.   

My boy!

So, I've had to change the plot up a bit in Hidden Corruption.  I hated for the game to end in a TPK in the woods like that, so I pulled a bit of a deus ex machina.  Davena and Garn were not supposed to be there, but it was the only plausible way I could come up with to save you guys.

It did throw a big monkeywrench into the plot, though.  I've been floating here, trying to figure out how to get there from here. 

Last night, I talked it through with Noah (my twelve year old son), who has been following the game in update form through me.  I know what's going to happen, now. 

It's going to bring in a new wrinkle to the main plotline, something I had never planned to do... but really, really does make sense.  It's also going to ramp up the horror/ick factor to somewhere between eleven and... forty-three? 

That... that is one of the nicest things anyone has ever told me, as a GM.

Thank you! 

Creepier?  This one didn't even have talons sticking out of the doomed mother's abdomen.  I thought it was pretty tame, myself. 

Maybe she's more resistant and just failed a save?  Maybe it's all dumb luck?  Who knows? 

Glad you've enjoyed the latest chapter of "Silver Screen Moments of the Damned".

The sylvari maid was pale - somehow paler than her normal milky complexion.  More of a gray cast, come to think of it; a pallor that suggested deep rooted unwellness. 

And my, was she frail.  More often than not, young mothers developed a "glow" about them once thier bellies began to firm into roundness, but such had not been the case for this flaxen-haired lass.  The violent morning sickness had never truly subsided, even though her second trimester was well underway.  She stayed utterly exhausted, able to walk not more than a score of paces before needing a rest, it seemed.  Her breath stayed shallow, she felt lightheaded all of the time.

Barely a woman, just past her first century, the maid should have been strong, vibrant.  Instead, it seemed as though a stiff breeze would cast her down at any moment. 

A look of disquiet crossed her features... her smallclothes were suddenly damp.  Reaching a hand down, she recoiled at the copious blood that coated her fingertips.

Her eyes went wide, and she called frantically for help.

The midwife arrived quickly, accompanied by a priest... but there was little help to give.  The maid collapsed with a groan, her violet eyes rolled back into her head, and momentarily, the convulsions started.  She writhed in obvious agony for several long minutes before falling perfectly still in a growing pool of blood.

As the midwife tsked over the corpse, the priest frowned.  The Mistress was apparently correct - the sylvari and their cursed connection to life seemed to reject the babies, no matter what.  The hope had been that the greater brightness of their life force would enable them to survive better, to support them though the birth and infancy... but the opposite had proved to be true.  Rather than being more suited than humans, sylvari apparently were completely unable to serve as conduits to bring the anchor into the world. 

They would just have to keep trying with other subjects. 

Even knowing that he was confirming her theory, the priest was loathe to share news of the latest failure with the Mistress.  She was certain to not be pleased.

Sylvari are resistant to ghoul paralysis.  Aranwen has been injured several times by them, but has never been paralyzed.

Boo!  Hiss!  Come back!

All fair points.

Eol posts mostly about his dog, his home improvement projects, and rum. 

Did you know that we have a Facebook group for the Inn?  Check out Friends of the Red Dragon Inn for silly gaming-related content, as well as status updates if the Inn is down.

This is a closed group - when you apply, maybe mention your username here.  We will get you approved quickly.

If you like, hit me up on Facebook, as well.  Warning: I'm pretty boring.  It's mostly pictures of my kids, the occasional silly joke, and shares of the stuff I do for my HomeBrew Dad page.

Speaking of which, I post pretty often to that one - HomeBrew Dad on Facebook.  That's my FB prescence for my Daddy blog.  Again, pictures of my kids, musings on being a parent, deals I have come across, links to blog content, etc. 

Feel free to share your own FB stuff here!

Egad.

Well, well.  Four posts now, including Team Leader.  That should be sufficient to move this forward.

Hey, it's getting better.  I don't have to blow the AC wide open on the drive in now.

My glasses still fog over almost instantly when I get out of my car in the afternoon, though.  90+ degrees and 155% humidity does that. 

It still hits the flipping mid nineties every day.  Summer just will not go away.  It hit 97 on Saturday.

They claim - CLAIM - 80s next week, and 70s the week after. 

I do not believe them.

Tell me about it.  It didn't even hit 80 degrees until like 8 AM today.  Sheesh.

Gib asks about Davena and Garn's knowledge of the undead.

"If I may ask," he begins. "when and where did you learn of this undead activity and the possible location of its center? Any knowledge that you can share now will be highly useful to us as it would appear that we have a mutual goal."

Garn glances at Davena, but allows her to do the speaking, as is his custom. 

The blonde woman answers.  "We heard tell of the walking dead as we traveled the road, and were persuaded to investigate.  As for the center of the activity... the dead man you searched is not the first priest of the death cult that we have encountered.  I believe their information to be accurate."

Garn wears a bit of a sneer.  It is not voiced, but the implication is that information was extracted - likely via torture or the like - from these priests.

Davena shakes her head.  "I have heard tales of human sacrifices before.  I am surprised, though, that these cultists would be so bold as to send wandering packs of the dead to terrorize the countryside.  I do not see the benefit." A ghost of a grin touches the corner of her mouth.  "But then, I do not pretend to know the mind of such a cultist."

Her gaze falls to Aranwen.  "Tell me, brave warrior... I hear that your folk are immune to the grave paralysis of these ghouls.  Is this true?

------------------------------------------------------

The morning passes without incident.  The sticky fog hangs oppressively still, the forest remains deathy quiet.  No animal, bird, or insect sounds can be heard. 

Sometime after midday, you reach the edge of the woods and come upon a series of cliff faces.  "I expect that our caves will be there," Garn observes. 

As the group scouts, Ch'dau finds a trampled track leading down into the caves - from the looks of it, this is a commonly used pathway for several people. 

Ugh.  I had an awful week.

Better luck this time!

Bengals
Texans
Ravens
Titans
Bears
Panthers
Vikings
Patriots
Eagles
Saints
Chargers
Packers
Chiefs
49ers

Love seing Cedric brought to life.