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No one knows how it began and no one knows if it will end.
Some say there were cities once, they say light once came from the sun, that the sky was blue and free.
Now we know these things only by the etchings on the dungeon walls, by old drawings and writings on ancient tomes. None are alive now that remember the day that the sky closed, forever encasing the world in a permanent darkness.
The world is entombed. There is no sky. No light but the precious oil we burn in the dark. No cities but the pockets of civilizations paid with blood, defended against monsters and myth and nightmares made real.
Some talk of gods and magic. Gods there are and magic and prayer too, but nothing without cost. No one sympathizes with our plight. We scratch and claw for our daily bread and water.
But not me. I know there are riches somewhere deep in the dark. I know there are secrets the gods are afraid to tell us. Power and wealth beyond imagining.
And maybe...maybe a way to end this curse.
>But that's a secondary concern, money comes first
>But that's a secondary concern, power comes first
>But that's a secondary concern, there are greater secrets to uncover.
>And I will find that way, whatever the cost
>>
>>491324
>there are greater secrets to uncover as well
>>
>>491324
>And I will find that way, whatever the cost
>>
>>491324
>>But that's a secondary concern, there are greater secrets to uncover
>>
>>491333
>>491338
But that's a secondary concern, there are greater secrets to uncover: the names of forgotten demons, the rites of lost gods, curses in ancient tongues. The whispers in the dark are not all without merit...so long as the madness can be kept at bay.
But who am I? I was born
>In the midst of combat, upon a blood-stained battlefield
>Before my time, through painful means -- killing my mother even as I was born.
>Through dark and unholy experiments -- human in appearance and speech, but not human born
>To callous parents, who threw me to the wolves to die
>Through the union of a slave and a man my mother refused to utter, even the name of, a man I have never met, nor ever known.
>Write-in
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>>491356
>Through dark and unholy experiments -- human in appearance and speech, but not human born
we edgy now
>>
>>491356
>Through dark and unholy experiments -- human in appearance and speech, but not human born
>>
>>491356
>>Through dark and unholy experiments -- human in appearance and speech, but not human born
>>
>>491356
>on the remains of a battlefield
Can we please be guts?
>>
>>491360
>>491364
The true details of my birth are unknown, even to me. But there are some things I know for sure: one, I was not born of woman, nor did I come from a womb. Two, there is a mark on both my hands, the number 7, written in an old script. Three, I can't eat anything with salt in it, it makes me sick and feverish and it burns me to touch it.
As for my creator, I know nothing of his nature or form. I was raised...
>In a large family, by an old couple who took care of orphans
>By a grizzled veteran of the labyrinth, who taught me to survive in the dungeon with his own brand of tough love
>By a merchant couple, as a replacement for their dead son
>By crippled musician, as a student of his craft
>By a Templar, who sought to pass down the burden of his faith to me
>By a street performer, who used to me to rob his audience blind
>By a scholar of the arcane and the forbidden, who took me in as an apprentice and guinea pig
>Write-in
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>>491393
>By a scholar of the arcane and the forbidden, who took me in as an apprentice and guinea pig
>>
>>491393
By the monsters in the dungeon
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>>491393
>By a Templar, who sought to pass down the burden of his faith to me
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>>491393
>By a crippled musician, as a student of his craft
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>>491429
Oh god, the stat spread is going to be abysmal
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>>491429
How is that even possible
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>>491432
I'm just glad we're not going full bard
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>>491429
>We'll do all 4
Fffffffffuck man.
We're the son of a fallen templar who plays the lute?
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>>491393
>By a Templar, who sought to pass down the burden of the faith to me
DEUS VULT
>>
I was raised in seclusion by a man who preferred solitude above all. I do not know what I was to him. A son, a curiosity, a student, a servant, an experiment. Perhaps all of these. Perhaps something else. I still do not know. He called himself "Manbuz" -- the Forsaken.
I called him master.
He was a pious man. He wept in his nightly prayers, wailed to his god for forgiveness and mercy -- why he did this, I didn't understand until much later. There were things about him which I see now as strange and even impossible, which then were ordinary by my ignorance.
He never slept. He never ate or drank. Light bothered him. Darkness enshrouded him. His skin was pale and thin, like paper. His eyes were sunk into his head like black pearls buried in sand. He read in total darkness, without even the aid of candlelight. He was emaciated, bony but strong.
I remember there was a pipe organ in one of the rooms of the keep. Enormous, beautiful. He would sit there every day staring at the keys. He never played it. But once a week, every week, he would spend hours cleaning every orifice, every key and pedal of the organ.
He spoke seldom, except to teach something or to berate me about something already taught. He taught me many things. Music chiefly, he loved music. His library was filled with old and ancient musical compositions and he spent every night poring over them, muttering beneath his breath. When my fingers were developed enough, he taught me to play the organ. I was a slow learner and he was not a patient man when it came to music -- I was beaten often, sometimes to excess.
He would disappear -- sometimes for weeks -- and return with his armor and his blade covered in blood (never his own) and with fresh scrolls and tomes under his arm, filled with still more ancient and more arcane compositions.
But still he never played an instrument, never put the written music to sound, not even in song or voice.
He taught me also of the gods, of their capricious and vindictive nature. Yet he was an ardent worshiper of Abulu, whose domain was secrets and wisdom, and who was the recipient of his nightly prayers. I learned by heart his rituals and psalms. But there was always pain whenever Munduz spoke of Abulu, always the hint of spite in his breath and the aftertaste of hatred.
Later I learned the truth. Munduz was less human than even me. He was cursed. Smitten by Abulu, his own god, for pursuing the music of the gods. Cursed to feel all the mortal pangs of hunger and thirst and tire without ever being able to satisfy them, without even the final release of death, he was to forever wander the labyrinth a miserable creature of shadow and dust.
These things I learned from...
>His pursuants, hunters of evil, that "rescued" me from his clutches
>His scattered written ramblings, after he just up and left the keep forever
>A priest in a nearby settlement, to whom I escaped one day when the beatings had become unbearable
>Write-in
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>>491515
*"Munduz" should be "Manbuz"
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>>491515
>His pursuants, hunters of evil, that "rescued" me from his clutches
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>>491515
>His pursuants, hunters of evil, that "rescued" me from his clutches
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>>491522
Going by a new alias
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>>491515
Pursuants
>>
So we're going to be lute playing, demon hunting, Templars?
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>>491522
>>491526
These things I learned from Manbuz's pursuants, a group of hunters calling themselves Zi'rah Alnoor. These men hunted the evil creatures that wandered the dungeon, for the favor of their god, Daw, whose domain was light and justice.
Of course they failed to kill Manbuz, his curse was too strong. But they were able to "rescue" me and take me away from the keep. I ran away on the first opportunity, but, Manbuz had already left the keep. I never saw him again.
I returned and joined Zi'rah Alnoor, they were keen to accept me for my knowledge of the gods and my ability to read ancient tongues, both gifts from Manbuz, but also because I had a strange gift for sensing when evil was near. I traveled with Alnoor for a time, learning a great deal about the dungeon and its inhabitants, gaining skill in combat and even making a few friends.
But...
>I could not accept their god, Daw, nor his ways and I was eventually cast out for my sacrilege
>The party was assaulted by a particularly nasty night troll -- none escaped alive, save me. I've wandered alone ever since.
>Reading an ancient inscription on one of the dungeon walls, I was tainted by a malevolent power. From then on I was chased as one of the very creatures I used to hunt
>The loss of a dear friend/lover disillusioned me from the hunt and I sought a new path
>Write-in
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>>491585
>The party was assaulted by a particularly nasty night troll -- none escaped alive, save me. I've wandered alone ever since.
maximum suffering
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>>491585
>Reading an ancient manuscript on one of the dungeon walls, I was tainted by a malevolent power. From then on I was chased as one of the very creatures I used to hunt.
We are must become a monster
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>>491597
Nvm I'll switch to this.
I like it.
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>>491597
Fuckin metal lets go for it
>>
>>491597
There are some days you don't talk about. Days that no amount of drink or dubious medicine can annihilate. Days that crawl in through the ears and the eyes and settle under the skin, in the folds of the brain, recreating itself over and over, rewriting itself worse and worse.
The day we met Mesthos, was one of those days. We tracked her from the cavernous shores of Shula to the Great Maze. She had already kidnapped 4 children, 3 of them returned skinless and fleshless. The 4th, we hoped to save. We hoped to lure Mesthos into a carefully laid acid trap in the maze.
Things didn't exactly go according to plan.
I can still remember the screams. It's not the pitch or timbre or desperation the stands out, only the sudden cutting off. They were there one second, in full blast and then gone in the next. No gurgling, nothing muffled, just gone. We ran. We ran so hard, but she was fast and she was angry.
A skinless husk of flesh, bone peaking out of the muscle, horns coming out of the head. Her footsteps were wet. Her gasps were brittle and raspy. One by one she separated us in the maze. One by one she hunted and killed us. I don't know how I escaped or why I survived. I think about it all the time. 'Survivors guilt', the priest calls it, but I should be thankful, favor of the gods and all that.
Maybe. Or maybe I'm just cursed. Just like Manbuz. The key is in my past, these hands, this number, this body, my birth. And I will wrench that key from the deep places and find out who and what I am.
Call me...
>Ishmael
>Write-in
Character Sheet
HP: 7
AC: 2
XP: 0/1000
Stats
Str - 11 (+2)
Dex - 8 (+1)
Con - 7 (+1)
Int - 9 (+1)
Wis - 7 (+1)
Cha - 11 (+2)
Skills
Awareness
Decipher
Lore
Survival
Special Abilities
Command: Can command demons, spirits and elementals (you are not aware of this ability yet)
Lucky: Once per day, turn a miss into a partial success
Tough: +1 Armor
Slayer: +2 Melee Damage
Inventory/Equipment
Long-sword (d6+1)
Throwing Knives (d6)
Light Armor (Armor 1)
Adventuring Gear (x2)
Occult Items (x2)
Note: The character sheet only describes the bare minimum, your background (the shit we just hashed out) is more important in determining what you can and cannot do.
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>>491861
>Ishmael
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>>491872
Actually how about just Seven?
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>>491861
Ramsay
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>>491893
Nvm, just Ishmael
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>>491872
>>491897I wasn't actually serious about that option, but what the hell
Call me Ishmael.
My wanderings for the truth of my birth have lead me here, to the southern wall of the Kaleat Alhadid. Rumors in the nearby encampment have told of a vast magical laboratory beneath and behind its walls. A powerful warlock has taken up residence here, perhaps he is the one who created me.
The walls of the keep are mossy and cracked. Shadows dance from the flickering light of my torch as I survey the lay of the land. There are three ways that I can enter the keep and I choose to
>Walk across a drawbridge that hangs by a single chain over a vast, bottomless pit
>Throw my rope and grappling hook across the pit, catching the inner wall and then swing across and climb up
>Try to leap across the pit, trusting my legs to see me through
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>>492186
Roll a 2d6 also
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>>492186
>Throw my rope and grappling hook across the pit, catching the inner wall and then swing across and climb up
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Rolled 5, 6 = 11 (2d6)
>>492201
oops
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>>492201
Supporting
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Rolled 1, 6 = 7 (2d6)
>>492186
>Throw my rope and grappling hook across the pit, catching the inner wall and then swing across and climb up
>>
>>492201
>>492240
The drawbridge looks like it will break apart at any minute. I take my rope and grappling hook and throw it over the wall, the hook grabs on to the other side of the wall on the first throw. It is a simple matter to swing across and then climb up.
From the top of wall my head almost touches the ceiling that has replaced the sky and I can see the large courtyard of the keep. Lizardmen have setup camp here, I can see the fires of their torches glint in the dark. Two of them stand guard just beyond the gate of the drawbridge.
>What does Ishmael know of Lizardmen? (State some stuff about lizardmen (strengths, culture, customs, weaknesses, etc) and roll 2d6+1)
>>
Rolled 2, 2 + 1 = 5 (2d6 + 1)
>>492351
Lizard men are generally nomads and gypsies that live hard lives to appease their khans. They hate all religion and have animosity towards most things pure, but greed is foremost and their bodies are more than enough to tear a regular human apart. Frequent dungeon delvers these folk are, and stupid their individuals. So because of this they organize in migrations and war bands, using horde tactics and superior natural abilities to vanquish foes and plunder ruins.
>>
Rolled 3, 1 + 1 = 5 (2d6 + 1)
>>492377
This
>>
>>492351
(2d6 + 1)
This
First time rolling dice btw
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>>492460
2d6
(2d6)
Testing
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Rolled 5, 6 + 1 = 12 (2d6 + 1)
>>492460
Type it in the options field above the text box, no parenthesis. Type this : dice+2d6+1
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>>492479
Fuck
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>>492479
Put -dice+2d6+1- just like that, no spaces or - just put it in the options field under the name
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>>492460
This again
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>>492498
No
dice+2d6+1
Copy and paste that into the options section when posting
>>
Rolled 4, 1 + 1 = 6 (2d6 + 1)
>>492498
This will be the time
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>>492505
Eeeeey ya got em
>>
>>492377
Most of what is known of Lizardmen comes from hearsay and rumor. I've heard that they are mostly wandering nomads, moving from one area of the megadungeon to another as predation and danger dictate. Alnoor used to hunt them for their godless antagonism and greed -- they were vicious and powerful enemies, working in groups and using their superior strength and speed to harass and raid human settlements. I've seen one of these creatures rip an arm off of a human torso like it was piece of gum. Unfortunately I don't know of any weakness.
>I'd better keep away from them and keep to the shadows
>They haven't spotted me yet, I can probably take out the two guards with a quick knife throw
>I'm not part of Alnoor anymore, let's parleying with them
>Write-in
>
>>
>>492919
>I'd better keep away from them and keep to the shadows
Who says they won't try to kill us if they see us?
>>
>>492919
>I'd better keep away from them and keep to the shadows
>>
Rolled 4, 2 = 6 (2d6)
>>493210
>>
Rolled 6, 3 + 1 = 10 (2d6 + 1)
>>492977
Rollin
>>
Rolled 5, 4 = 9 (2d6)
>>493210
>>
>>493217
>>493238
I'd better stick to the shadows and avoid them. Prudence is the best ally of valor. I skulk along the length of the wall, crouching against the crenelations to avoid being seen by the patrols.
"...think the Khan looksss ssstranger than usssual?"
"Quiet Kokepei! If the Khan hearsss you he will cut usss both. You know hisss temper."
"Yesss, but don't you think there isss sssomething ssstrange going on? He dissapearsss into that...place...for hoursss, hisss sssmell has changed too."
I freeze. Two lizardmen are walking toward me, still unaware of my presence among the shadows of the crenelations. I have a few seconds before they are close enough to notice me.
I...
>Slip over the side of the wall and hang on until they pass
>Take the initiative and surprise them with a quick dagger toss to the throat
>Try to create a diversion (how?)
>Write-in
Whatever you choose, Roll 2d6Last post for today, I'll continue first thing tomorrow. This quest got more interest than I expected, which is good.
>>
Rolled 2, 2 = 4 (2d6)
>>493346
>Take the initiative and surprise them with a quick dagger toss to the throat
>>
Rolled 5, 4 = 9 (2d6)
>>493346
>Create a diversion by positioning ourself behind some stones and scrape a rock against one of the knives, theoretically creating creating echoes coming from a different direction then we are.
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>>493346
>>Slip over the side of the wall and hang on until they pass
>>
File: 4ed8392b48334fd2663c9e79b20b9f74.gif (1002KB, 500x629px) Image search:
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Rolled 1, 3 = 4 (2d6)
>>493346
I like this setting.
They can smell us easily. hiding won't do unless there's something to cover our scent. Plus, we've already seen our fair share of combat.
>Keep listening, wait till the last moment and then
>Take the initiative
IRL lizards have large holes for ears and you can see straight into their little heads. I suggest aiming there. Assuming they are not wearing helmets it will be the squishiest part and gives a straight shot to the brain.
follow up the dagger as fast as you can. Hopefully we can silence them fast.
>>
>>
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>>493356
>>493833
>>494030
My hand goes instinctively to the pair of throwing knives in my left boot. There will only be one chance and it will have to be silent and swift. They step closer. Seconds pass like raindrops on a window pane...
Phhhop! The first knife hits the one called Kokepei straight in the gullet. He stops walking and steps backward.
"Kokopei what are you doing? We cannot ressst yet...Kokopei?" Kokopei falls to his knees. The second lizardman takes off his helmet rushes forward. Big mistake, taking off that helmet. Phhhoop! The second dagger seeks its mark in the gaping earhole on the side of the lizardman's head. It finds it well.
Too well. The force of the blow causes the lizardman to stumble...and then fall off the side of the wall. Directly into the courtyard. With a tremendous thud.
Immediately the lizardmen are put on high alert. The two patrolling by the drawbridge gate run over and check their fallen comrade. One of them pulls out the dagger and points to the wall. I flip behind the battlement, hoping, praying, they haven't spotted me yet.
"What isss thisss? I sssmell human on it. There isss a human rat scurrying around."
"You Majukuei! What isss that?" A small crowd of lizardmen have gathered around the body.
"Khan! I-it isss nothing. Jussst a human rat in the groundsss. We will kill it. Nothing to worry about."
"Be it ssso. He isss on the wallsss. Check the wallsss. I will be in my chamber. Do not kill him if posssible. I want to ssseee him mysssself."
Somehow, I don't think he wants to have tea.
The lizardmen will be more cautious now, my advantage of surprise is gone. But they still have not yet spotted me. I have precious few minutes to make a plan.
The Kaleat Alhadid is a monster of a castle. Castles, actually. Plural. A maze of walls and pits separates each keep. The layout of each castle is always the same: walls, connected to towers that meet with the ceiling. Then a courtyard, extending from one of the walls (in this case, mine) and behind it a series of interlinked buildings of assorted size and height. Some of them are built into the walls. Others create alleyways and thin roads from the gaps between each building. Bridges and paths crisscross randomly through the buildings making it look like a earthen spiderweb.
Most of this hidden from my eyes, the lizardmen have encamped in the courtyard and the light of their torches does not reach the buildings in the back. The walls are continuous, except at the gate. There, a 10 foot gap separates the two walls. Only way off of the wall is through one of the towers or down the side of the wall. I still have my rope and grappling hook.
Think!
>I should rappel down the side of the wall and make a run through the courtyard for the alleyways. Numbers will mean nothing there.
>I should try to swing over the gap to the other wall
>I should stand and fight where I am
>Write-in
>>
>>494288
>I should try to swing over the gap to the other wall
>>
Rolled 5, 2 = 7 (2d6)
>>494288
>I should try to swing over the gap to the other wall
>>
Rolled 1, 3 + 1 = 5 (2d6 + 1)
>>494288
>I should try to swing over the gap to the other wall
>>
Still alive OP?
>>
Rolled 6, 6 = 12 (2d6)
Rollin for unanimous.
>>
>>494332
>>494338
>>494385
I need to head for the tower, its the only chance I've got for avoiding a fight. Since the lizardmen will undoubtedly come from the west, I have to go east, go over the gap and then make for the eastern tower.
Still keeping low to the ground I run over to the gap and throw my rope across to the other side. Success! The hook has gripped the wall tightly. I quickly swing across, bracing my feet against the other side of the gap and climbing up with assistance from the rope.
Then the stone crumbles and the hook comes loose! I manage to hang on with one arm on the side of the wall but the rope falls from my hands to the ground below. With only the strength of own limbs I climb up to the top of the wall, exhausted by the exertion. Thankfully, the lizardmen did not think to send anyone to search this side and I make it to the entrance to the tower unseen.
The tower is a tall, circular building with platforms every few feet in height. There are also little windows every 4 feet around the walls, just small enough to allow an archer to fire. At the end of each platform lies a wooden ladder braced against the edge. It's about 30ft to the ground from where I stand. I can hear yelling from the outside. Likely they found the other corpse.
>I should hide in the tower until things cool off
>I should make a run for the courtyard while they are still looking around in the walls
>I should check for any trapdoors on the bottom floor, leading to the innards of the keep
Roll 2d6, whichever you choose
>>
>>494416
>I should make a run for the courtyard while they are still looking around in the walls
The bottom of this tower seems like a good place for guard barracks which I'd rather avoid
>>
Rolled 1, 1 = 2 (2d6)
>>494418
>>
>>494420
Ok. So rolling snake-eyes is an instant critical miss.
Regardless of what choice reaches consensus, this is the roll that will be used to determine the outcome. However, Ishmael has the "Lucky" special ability which allows him to turn a critical miss into a partial success, once a day.
You must now decide whether you want to use this ability now, or save it for later. But whatever you choose, the die, as they say, is cast and cannot be changed.
>>
>>494427
I think we should use it
>>
>>
>>494437
Also supporting
>>
>>494418
The courtyard looks empty from here. Now is the time to make a run for it. It's easy enough to climb down the tower, the ladders are a little rickety and unstable, but pose no serious trouble.
At the bottom of the tower, there is a large trapdoor and a gate leading out into the courtyard. Leaning against the side of the wall, I open the gate a crack to peek at the courtyard.
The situation is much the same, the lizardmen are still on the walls, I can see their torches shining like fiery ghosts in the darkness. Sprinting across the courtyard, I am careful to remain behind the shadows of the tents, crouching and crawling to avoid being spotted.
I even allow myself a quiet chuckle as I watch the idiot lizardmen shambling about the wall without a clue. That's when I spot a particularly large and nasty looking lizardman, at least 7 feet tall, with horrific boils that cover one side of his face that dribble pus down to his snout.
I quickly duck behind a tent for cover. Waiting. Hoping. Praying.
"Who isss that! I am Khan, show yourself human rat!"
Fuck all the gods.
>I come out with my hands up saying, "I am Ismael, I seek only free passage and am willing to pay for it."
>I stay hidden. Let him come to me, boils won't be the worst thing on his face after I'm done with him
>I take a deep breath, then make a straight beeline for the maze of buildings to my right.
>I draw my longsword and charge the mighty lizard. Maybe if I kill him the others will back off.
>Write-in
>>
Rolled 4, 2 = 6 (2d6)
>>494519
>I stay hidden. Let him come to me, boils won't be the worst thing on his face after I'm done with him
So this is the boss lizard?
>>
Rolled 3, 5 = 8 (2d6)
>>494527
Supportin and Rollin.
>>
Rolled 2, 2 = 4 (2d6)
>>494527
Supporting
>>
>>494527
>>494533
I reach for my sword, gripping the hilt loosely, taking deep breaths to calm my nerves as I was taught. I can feel the ground shake as the beast approaches. I can hear the yowling of the other lizardmen as they climb down from the wall. I can smell the fetid rot of the pus as it drips down onto the stone floor with an audible hiss.
"I sssmell you human rat, you cannot hide." The creature utters a low growl and grabs the side of the tent. I wait, trying desperately to control my breathing and heartbeat.
It shows its hideous face. My blade snaps forward from its sheath, cutting into the boils, and spilling pus all over my sword. The creature rears back in agony, clutching its face. The pus eats through my blade like it was made of ice cream, leaving only two thin halves connected by a sliver of steel, and rendering it useless.
>I've done about as well I can here, I should make a run for the buildings
>It's time to cut my losses and flee, I should retreat to the tower and then get out of this place
>I still have a throwing dagger in my other boot, I should press the advantage
>Write-in
>>
Rolled 3, 2 = 5 (2d6)
>>494632
>I've done about as well I can here, I should make a run for the buildings
Well we're fucked now
>>
Rolled 6 + 3 (1d6 + 3)
>>494632
Also roll 2d6 and above is how much damage you just did to the Khan.
>>
>>494644
Oh nice. Is he still alive? If not I say we just finish him off with the throwing knife.
>>
>>494654
He's still alive yes, but the wound you dealt looks to be a grievous one. Whatever those boils were, they weren't supposed to be popped. Your knife might be able to deal the killing blow.
But keep in mind that the other lizardmen are also coming and any extra time spent here is time they get to catch up.
>>
>>494665And brb in about 1 hour, running a quick errand
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>>494665
May we stab the fucker in his throat and make a hasty retreat?
>>
>>494740
I just don't want to get anywhere near that acid
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>>494632
>I've done about as well I can here, I should make a run for the buildings
>>
>>494824
>>494643
I drop the now useless sword before the pus reaches my hand. The Khan is on his knees still clutching his wound and screaming. I don't want to be here when that thing recovers. I run straight into the mess of buildings, weaving through the alleyways to lose any pursuers.
The lizardmen are more interested in helping their Khan anyway, so for the moment I'm safe -- well, about as safe as being weaponless in the middle of a maze, with angry lizardmen at my heels, allows me to be.
After wandering through 4 more paths and hitting several dead-ends, I make the grim realization that I am lost. I can still hear the distant screams of the Khan -- they aren't of pain anymore, he's now giving orders.
>I enter the building to my immediate right, a tall, thin building whose walls reach all the way to the ceiling and which have bridges connecting to other buildings
>I enter the building to my left, a wide, squat edifice about 10 feet in height with a door frame which is missing a door.
>I backtrack and try ambushing one of the pursuing lizardmen parties
>I head deeper into the maze of buildings. I can shake off the lizardmen there
>>
>>494981
>I enter the building to my immediate right, a tall, thin building whose walls reach all the way to the ceiling and which have bridges connecting to other buildings
>>
>>494981
>I enter the building to my immediate right, a tall, thin building whose walls reach all the way to the ceiling and which have bridges connecting to other buildings
>>
Rolled 4, 4 = 8 (2d6)
>>495028
>>
>>495019
>>495028
The building has a heavy wooden gate. It takes some muscle and sweat to wrench it open. Inside a pungent sweet smell blasts your nostrils. The walls are aglow with a dull blue light coming from large clumps of photofungus.
>What does Ishmael know of photofungus? (Write a few statements about photofungus and then roll 2d6+1)
>>
Rolled 4, 2 + 1 = 7 (2d6 + 1)
>>495091
Uh... It grows near areas of high magical activity and is a valuable ingredient for alchemy. Better snatch a few to sell later. I'm guessing we're just supposed to make shit up?
>>
>>
Rolled 4, 5 = 9 (2d6)
>>496039
not part of their diet since they must be carnivorous, but could be a narcotic.
>It grows near areas of high magical activity and is a valuable ingredient for alchemy.
BUT
It is said these mushrooms lead the lost and weary to sanctuary. Picking them is considered very bad luck. The stories of their harvesters' fates explain why they are valuable despite abundance in the dungeon.
>>
>>
>>
>>495102
>>496039
>>496991
I've seen clumps of these strange fungus grow in the damp basements of Manbuz's keep. He hated them, likely because the light irritated him.
But I loved them, I used to hide from Manbuz in those cellars (whenever he was in one of his moods) with only these mushrooms for company. Gradually I associated them with sanctuary and solace. The memory of smells is very rich and even now the sickly sweet odor takes me back to those days and that cellar, and despite myself I feel my pulse dull, my breathing slow and soften, and a sweet euphoria wash over me. I smile.
I close the door behind me. There is no lock, but hopefully the weight of the door alone is enough to deter visitors.
Where am I ? The room is square. There are a few chest of drawers along the eastern wall, covered in the fungus. A tall cracked mirror stands between the wardrobes, reflecting nothing through the generations of dust on its surface.
There is a door on the northeastern side, smaller and with bronze handles.
>The chest of drawers could be worth a look, let's start there
>That mirror looks interesting, I should check it out
>I'll catch my breath and then move on, there's nothing of interest here and time is of the essence
>>
>>497425
>The chest of drawers could be worth a look, let's start there
>>
>>495102Pretty much yeah. I might not use everything but if you roll well, or if your idea is interesting or if it is popular it is more likely to be used. Most of the games here seem depend on DM fiat to build the world, but we're not playing D&D so why not build it together?
>>496994Correct. Interesting stuff will take precedence over everything (including popularity). The easiest way to ensure your idea is chosen is to make it unorthodox (i.e not generic) but also consistent.
The dice are only used to determine the outcome (success, partial success, failure). Actions that fall under your skills can never fail, only partially succeed at worst.
>>497003I have all of this down as well so no worries
>>
Rolled 3 (1d6)
>>497431
Supporting, but check for traps!
>>
>>497431
>>497436
A few of the drawers are shut tight from the fungus roots. Those are that free contain chewed scraps of cloth that must've once been clothing. The smell of rat droppings is strong.
The second chest contains much of the same, but one of the drawers is filled with bottles old perfume -- that are still surprisingly potent.
>I've wasted enough time, it's time to go
>I should check out the mirror before I leave
>Write-in
>>
>>497450
Take one of the bottles of perfume, then
>Check out dat mirror
>>
Rolled 5, 5 = 10 (2d6)
>>497450
>I've wasted enough time, it's time to go
>>
>>497450
Take a bottle of potent perfume. It may actually come in handy for our escape
>>
>>497492
>>497497
>>497634
The perfume might be worth something, and if not, Fa'ra might appreciate it as a gift. I pocket one of the vials. It smells of flowers whose names I do not know, names, perhaps forever lost.
I've wasted enough time here. I open the small wooden door with the bronze handles. It is loose but the hinges sing of unuse
The smell here is familiar also: the rich odor of paper and dust mingled beyond separation. The room is dark but I already know where I stand.
This is a library.
I light a torch from my pack illuminating the walls of shelves and old tomes and rolled up parchment. Spiderwebs crisscross the gaps between the shelves like curved lines of spit -- shining with dew in the yellow light. A pair of rotten and chewed up armchairs sit in the middle of the room, a table of wood stands between them. The shelves are arranged in neat rows on either side of the armchairs, with a particularly wide and tall shelf on the back wall, at least 10' feet in height and covering the entire wall.
Everything is coated with a layer of thick dust. On the near wall, where the door I entered from lies, there is a sconce for a candle. The once proud candle is now only a dead puddle of wax, bereft of life and light.
The room is small and cozy, but with a strangely high ceiling -- at least 20' in height. A wooden ladder is propped against the back shelf.
A small trapdoor, just large enough to fit a man, lies directly above the table on the ceiling, out of reach. No other exit can be found.
I should...
>Peruse the shelves
>Examine the sconce
>Take a look at the table
>Relax on the armchair
>Write-in
>>
Rolled 55 (1d100)
>>497782
Try to relight the candle, or find a replacement candle for the sconce.
Then prop the ladder up to the trapdoor using the armchairs to weight it.
>>
Rolled 5, 3 = 8 (2d6)
>>497782
>Peruse the shelves
Our decipher and lore skills should help with this right?
>>
>>497816
Absolutely. Those skills means you'll never a critical failure when performing actions which fall under them.
>>
>>497829
Who is Fa'ra?
>>
>>498050
A local courtesan
>>
Rolled 5, 4 = 9 (2d6)
>>497816
Supporting.
>>
>>497816
>>498395
It takes time to sift through the dust and the paper. I grab an armful of books and parchment and lay them out on the table.
My mind retraces the memories of Manbuz's library. Far greater than this one, more shelves, many more, but only one chair and table. And I would sit in that chair and Manbuz would stand a few paces behind me and I would read aloud poetry or myth or history.
And Manbuz would stand behind me, gently correcting a mispronounced word or demonstrating a properly accented vowel. It was the only time in which I knew him to be gentle. But he never drew close,because even the dim light of the candle was like pinpricks to his skin.
Many of the books have been ruined by age. Rodents have eaten away at the bindings and their droppings have destroyed the ink. Still, a few of the works remain in readable condition.
The books mostly concern history, particularly military engagements between two civilizations: The Belalu and The Arkeh. These were not penned by the skilled hand of a historian, but are records of losses and logs of equipment, money and men for the campaigns.
Of no use to me, or really, anyone. Another book is a detailed journal of an aide to one Ni'an ibn Saamee al-Shaytani, who, according to the journal is an extraordinary figure that rose from a common house slave to a vicious and brutal conqueror. The journal describes the life of this aide, a cartographer that served under Ni'an's employ and also witness both his birth and death.
The writing is so gripping and the adventures so delightful that I lose myself in the pages. That is, of course, until a loud crash in the other room followed by lots of screaming and growling, brings me to my senses.
"I sssmell manflesh in thisss place! Sssearch the roomsss!" The Khan seems to be alive, if not in good spirits.
I have only a few seconds before they come through the door. Without a proper weapon I won't last long, I'll have to think of something else.
>Brace a couple of the shelves against the door to buy some time
>Grab the ladder by the bookshelf, put it on the table, and try to reach the trapdoor on the ceiling
>Write-in
>>
>>498571
>Write-in
>Use the perfume to mask your smell, then hide behind the door and be really quiet.
>>
>>498885
He'll smell where we are with the perfume even more anon.
>>
>>498571
Shit man I just wanted to check for any interesting looking books, not sit down and read.
>Grab the ladder by the bookshelf, put it on the table, and try to reach the trapdoor on the ceiling
>>
Rolled 3, 5 = 8 (2d6)
>>498985
>>
>>498885
Then we spray the perfume everywhere!
>>
>>499032
I say we hit Khan with it directly so he can't track by smell at all for a while
>>
>>498985
I drop everything and run for the ladder. I prop the ladder on the table (first throwing all the papers and books off to make room) and then climb up as fast as I can. Unfortunately, the ladder is just a few feet short of the trapdoor.
The door bursts open and the lizardmen emerge from the opening.
"There he isss! Throw! Throw!"
Two of the lizardmen throw their spears while two more run for the ladder. It's now or never. I crouch down and leap for the trapdoor and...my hand closes around its handle!
The trapdoor swings out just as the lizardmen tackle the ladder. Their spears whiff the air where I once stood as I swing along with the trapdoor.
"Get him! I want hisss ssskin!"
I try to reach the opening with my other arm -- my hand brushes the edge but slips. The lizardmen are setting up the ladder again to reach me. I try reaching again, my right hand is screaming from exertion, again my hand slips. I cannot hold on anymore, I can feel the muscle give in. I try one last time, offering a slew of mental promises to whatever gods might be watching. My fingers grip the stone of the edge just as the arm lets go of the trapdoor. With one arm I begin hoist myself into the room...but one of the lizardmen has grabbed my foot! I almost slip back and fall but my fingers hold on to a gap in the brick.
Using all the might I possess I pull myself up. I made it! But, unfortunately, so did the lizardman. The trap door snaps shut. It's me and him now.
He is weaponless and dazed but so am I. The image of a man being torn apart by a lizardman's bare hands flashes through my mind. Not a pleasant image.
At least the room is dark. He shouldn't be able to see me.
"I can sssmell you human rat." Oh right. "Why don't you sssurrender? Your death will be quick and maybe even painlesss." The creature laughs. It sounds like someone gargling razor blades.
I draw my throwing dagger. Not much help, but holding something with an edge is comforting. I try to sense where the creature is, but the darkness is too thick.
Something lunges at me and I fall backward, just barely avoiding the sharp claws about to enter my eye-sockets. I have to think of something quick!
.
I can..
>Start spraying perfume everywhere to cover my scent
>Let him strike me to exchange blows
>Surrender, for now
>Write-in
Last post for the day
>>
>>499161
> exchange blows
No point obscuring your scent when he would be able to hear us running away, this lizard need to die
>>
>>499161
>Start spraying perfume everywhere to cover my scent
>>
Rolled 1, 1 = 2 (2d6)
>>499161
>Start spraying perfume everywhere to cover my scent
Or just smash it in his face
>>
>>499347
Fuck this 2d6 system, damn.
>>
Rolled 3, 3 = 6 (2d6)
>>499207
Supporting.
>>
>>499347
shit looks lke we're not going to be able to get that perfume. The lizardman will probably take this opportunity to fuck us up, and the worst part is, we already used our "lucky" perk today.
>>
Rolled 6 (1d6)
Roll-3 = Damage
>>499207
>>499347
>>499504
I roll backward and spring to my feet. I have a plan. Lizardmen's sense smell is sensitive, but in this darkness that can be a weakness. I finger my pocket for the bottle of perfume while slowly walking backwards to create distance between me and the lizardman. Unfortunately my foot snags something on the floor and I fall backwards on the ground.
The lizard is upon in me in an instant, slamming my chest down, and knocking the wind from my lungs. A hand full of razor sharp claws that are barely stopped by my armor presses down hard. That's definitely going to bruise. My right hand closes around the vial of perfume in my pocket. The hot lizard breath washes over my face, it smells of death and rotten fish.
"The Khan isss going to enjoy your flesssh human."
"Enjoy this you crocodile-looking motherfucker!" I smash the bottle of perfume right over the creature's snout. Sorry Fa'ra. The lizardman rears backward and starts sneezing -- a sound akin to a teakettle letting off steam.
I roll to the side and stand up. The perfume quickly permeates the room, filling it with the strong sweet scent of flowers.
"A dirty trick! Ssshow *achoo* yourssself human rat! *aaaachoo*" I allow myself a grin.
Then the trapdoor opens and lizardmen begin spilling into the room -- several of them with torches that spill light into every corner and crevice, revealing your form to plain sight.
I really need to stop smiling.
Roll 2d6 to take a quick survey of the room.
>>
>>500222
Character Sheet
HP: 4
AC: 2
XP: 40/1000
Stats
Str - 11 (+2)
Dex - 8 (+1)
Con - 7 (+1)
Int - 9 (+1)
Wis - 7 (+1)
Cha - 11 (+2)
Skills
Awareness
Decipher
Lore
Survival
Special Abilities
Command: Can command demons, spirits and elementals (you are not aware of this ability yet)
Lucky: Once per day, turn a miss into a partial success
Tough: +1 Armor
Slayer: +2 Melee Damage
Inventory/Equipment
Throwing Knives (d6) (x1/3)
Light Armor (Armor 1)
Occult Items (x2)
>>
Rolled 6, 3 = 9 (2d6)
>>500222
>>
Rolled 4, 4 = 8 (2d6)
>>500222
Radar roll
>>
Rolled 1, 6 = 7 (2d6)
>>500222
>>
>>500246
>>500252
There are only moments before the lizardmen get their bearings and charge. The light reveals a table full of strange looking glass apparatuses, most of them smashed up. A cauldron large enough to boil a man whole stands to the left of me. A small desk stands in front. I scan the room for an exit -- a door, a window, anything. No windows. But a door to my right! I sprint toward the door. The lizardmen chase close behind. My hand is on the doorknob -- it's locked. There is no time for delicacy. I step back and kick the door with all my might, it breaks free from the frame revealing a small dining room illuminated by a pale blue light. Here too, clumps of photofungus have conquered the walls. I feel a sense of calm and ease as I breathe the air of the room.
But there is no time to rest. The lizardmen are hot on my trail. The dining room has a long rectangular table in the middle of it, with several chairs propped on top. To the left is another door. To the front is a broken window, beyond which lies the balcony of an adjacent building. To the right, a glass shelf filled with china and eating utensils and next to it 3 barrels of fungus eaten wood.
>I should try flipping over the table and bracing it against the opening of the door
>I should jump out the window and try to make it to the balcony on the other side
>I should try the door to the left
>Write-in
>>
>>500258
Door might be a dead end, I choose window. While heading towards there knock the glass shelf down if easy to do, maybe the billion pieces of china will slow the lizards down
>>
Rolled 1, 5 = 6 (2d6)
>>500258
>I should jump out the window and try to make it to the balcony on the other side
>>
>>500263
Damn. I can't stop rolling ones. Somebody else needs to roll
>>
>>500267
There was no need to roll there.
>>
>>500268
Are you sure? I thought we had to roll for pretty much every action.
>>
>>500274
We roll only when OP demands it.
>>
>>500276
Actually I'd prefer it if everyone rolled by default. It helps move the story along since I can use the rolls for any action (even those not covered by the choices) and I sometimes forget to say "roll 2d6" (as in this case).
>>
>>500281
I'll roll every action then.
>>
>>500282
Go ahead and roll man mine was shit
>>
It seems prudent to wait for a few more people before continuing. If no one shows up and this thread starts to autosage I'll make a new thread.
>>
Rolled 4, 6 = 10 (2d6)
>>500263
do this
>>
btw OP, your writing is really good
>>
>>500263
>>500407
That door might be locked and it looks too sturdy to knock down. The table will not hold the lizardmen for long, if at all.
No. The window is my only chance. I leap over the table and jump headfirst through the opening. The balcony is just a few feet ahead of me, I curl into a ball and roll to soften the impact.
Dizzy, disoriented, and a little sore -- but safe -- I push off the ground and stand up, looking back at the window. Three lizardmen are struggling to look through the window at once. I give them a little wave. They are yanked backwards to be replaced by a still more hideous and vicious face -- the Khan's. He looks at me then looks down and yells something. I look down in turn. There are several lizardmen, at least 4, crowding around the entrance to the building whose balcony I now stand upon. I look back at the Khan. He steps back as a group of lizardmen ready their javelins. Behind the wall of points I can see the Khan's face. He's smiling.
I think I'm going to be sick.
I try the door on the balcony. It swings open easily. I leap through and slam the door shut. There is a loud thud as the spears batter the door, several of their points peek through the wood.
These lizardmen are far more tenacious than I expected. I look around the room. To my right is a wall whose upper half is made of tinted glass. A strong metal door lies in the center of this wall. In front, there is a table with two chairs on either side. There are heavy chains and a pair of handcuffs on the table. To my left is...a man! He's naked and held by restraints coming out of the walls. His chest and legs are marked by scars. His body is thin and bony. His hair is long and his beard, unkempt. Is he alive?
I can hear commotion coming from below.
>I should check the man's vitals to see if he still lives
>I should try the metal door
>I should try escaping through the balcony, climbing down the side of the building
>Write-in
Also new thread coming up since this one is in autosage
>>
>>500409
Thanks, I've been trying to improve.
>>
Rolled 5, 5 = 10 (2d6)
>>500474
Check the door, to see if we can open it and what's inside, and at the same time call out to the man.
>>
>>500474
>write in
lets check if the man is alive and try to recruit him for our cause if he is, or if he's just a corpse, loot him
>>
New thread: >>500552
>>
Rolled 1, 2 + 1 = 4 (2d6 + 1)
Thread posts: 157
Thread images: 7
Thread images: 7