Fate of Shield: Part 3 - Sample Characters

Getting this out there to potentially help my players get some ideas for themselves.  Used a different group of friends as inspirations.

Part 1 - The Observatory
Part 2 - The Mission

Name: Generic OPS Agent

High Concept: SHIELD Field Operative

Trouble: Hunted by Hydra

Phase 1: World Class Combatant

Phase 2: Super Spy in a Super World

Phase 3: All the Best Toys

Skills

Great +4: Fight

Good +3: Shoot, Rapport

Fair +2: Will, Physique, Athletics

Average +1: Deceive, Drive, Contacts, Investigate

Stunts 

Blend in Anywhere: +2 to Deceive when carrying out a planned operation

Iron Will: +2 to Will defense to resist torture

SHIELD Armories: May use Contacts in place of Resources to obtain mission-related equipment

Physical Stress: OOO
Mental Stress: OOO
Refresh: 3

Name: Generic SCI Agent
High Concept: SHIELD Super Scientist
Trouble: Never Been in the Field
Phase 1: Biggest Brain Around
Phase 2: Gadgets a Specialty
Phase 3: Just Have to Do the Math
Skills
Great +4: Lore
Good +3: Craft, Contacts
Fair +2: Notice, Investigate, Drive
Average +1: Resources, Will, Empathy, Deceive
Stunts 
SHIELD Armories: May use Contacts in place of Resources to obtain mission-related equipment
I Have Just the Thing!: May spend a Fate point to use Craft to overcome physical blocks once per scene
I've Seen this Before!: May use Lore in place of Investigate once per scene
Physical Stress: OO
Mental Stress: OOO
Refresh: 3
Name: Generic COMMS Agent
High Concept: SHIELD Dispatch
Trouble: It's Just a Desk Job
Phase 1: I Prefer the Term "Hacktivist"
Phase 2: Collating Data
Phase 3: This is SHIELD, How May I Help?
Skills
Great +4: Rapport
Good +3: Lore, Investigate
Fair +2: Empathy, Will, Contacts
Average +1: Resources, Deceive, Drive, Notice
Stunts 
SHIELD Armories: May use Contacts in place of Resources to obtain mission-related equipment
Just a Small Transfer: May use Lore instead of Burglary when taking digital goods
Enhance...: +2 to Investigate when using digital media
Physical Stress: OO
Mental Stress: OOO
Refresh: 3

Name: Generic Specialist Agent

High Concept: SHIELD Problem-Solver

Trouble: Trust No One

Phase 1: License to Kill

Phase 2: Efficient and Deadly

Phase 3: Like a Ghost

Skills

Great +4: Shoot

Good +3: Fight, Will

Fair +2: Physique, Athletics, Deceive

Average +1: Stealth, Drive, Notice, Investigate

Stunts 

SHIELD Armories: May use Contacts in place of Resources to obtain mission-related equipment

Mind Over Matter: May spend a Fate point to convert one physical consequence to a mental consequence

Improvised Weapons Specialized: No penalty for using improvised weapons of similar size to standard weaponry

Physical Stress: OOO
Mental Stress: OOOO
Refresh: 3

Name: Agent Chaz
High Concept: SHIELD COMMS Wiz
Trouble: Old Field Injury
Phase 1: Have You Tried Turning It Off and On?
Phase 2: My Partner's a Badass
Phase 3: I've Beaten This Game
Skills
Great +4: Rapport
Good +3: Lore, Investigate
Fair +2: Empathy, Will, Contacts
Average +1: Resources, Shoot, Drive, Notice
Stunts
SHIELD Armories: May use Contacts in place of Resources to obtain mission-related equipment
Just Like Mario 2: May spend a Fate point once per scene to substitue Lore for any other roll
Web Guru: +2 to Investigate when using digital media

Physical Stress: OO

Mental Stress: OOO

Refresh: 3

Name: Agent Erika

High Concept: SHIELD Butt Kicker

Trouble: Terrifying Reputation

Phase 1: My Backup's On Comms

Phase 2: ...And I Did It All In Heels

Phase 3: Silent as the Night

Skills

Great +4: Fight

Good +3: Shoot, Will

Fair +2: Stealth, Athletics, Deceive

Average +1: Physique, Drive, Notice, Investigate

Stunts 

SHIELD Armories: May use Contacts in place of Resources to obtain mission-related equipment

Mind Over Matter: May spend a Fate point to convert one physical consequence to a mental consequence

Always Armed: May spend a Fate point once per scene to produce a weaponthat was previously overlooked.

Physical Stress: OOO

Mental Stress: OOOO

Refresh: 3

Name: Agent Gray
High Concept: Artist of SHIELD
Trouble: Guns Aren't Art
Phase 1: Now THAT'S What I Call Beautiful
Phase 2: The Eye of the Beholder
Phase 3: The Finest of Motor Controls
Skills
Great +4: Craft
Good +3: Investigate, Rapport
Fair +2: Empathy, Will, Contacts
Average +1: Resources, Lore, Drive, Notice
Stunts
SHIELD Armories: May use Contacts in place of Resources to obtain mission-related equipment
Worth 1000 Words: May use Craft in place of Lore when dealing with art or technical drawings
An Eye For Detail: +2 to Investigate when using digital media

Physical Stress: OO

Mental Stress: OOO

Refresh: 3

Name: Agent Quinn

High Concept: SHIELD Recon Operative

Trouble: Outside The Lines

Phase 1: Competent Combatant

Phase 2: First to the Fight

Phase 3: Stamina in Spades

Skills

Great +4: Fight

Good +3: Shoot, Athletics

Fair +2: Will, Physique, Rapport

Average +1: Stealth, Drive, Contacts, Investigate

Stunts 

Tireless: +2 to Physique to overcome exhaustion or sleep deprivation

Highly Mobile: May move two zones instead of one

SHIELD Armories: May use Contacts in place of Resources to obtain mission-related equipment

Physical Stress: OOO

Mental Stress: OOO

Refresh: 3

Name: Agent Young

High Concept: SHIELD Infiltration Operative

Trouble: It's a Crude World

Phase 1: Best Dressed by Far

Phase 2: Insider Info

Phase 3: All the Best Toys

Skills

Great +4: Shoot

Good +3: Fight, Rapport

Fair +2: Will, Physique, Athletics

Average +1: Deceive, Drive, Contacts, Investigate

Stunts 

Brookz: +2 to Deceive while dressed to impress

Negotiator: +2 to Rapport when trying to broker an agreement

SHIELD Armories: May use Contacts in place of Resources to obtain mission-related equipment

Physical Stress: OOO
Mental Stress: OOO
Refresh: 3

Part 4 - The Show
Part 5 - The Drones
Part 6 - Roxxon
Part 7 - The Armory

Fate of SHIELD: Part 2 - The Mission

Part 1 - The Observatory

THREE WEEKS AGO

Agent Stevenson, Eyes Only
Intercepted radio transmissions from a Roxxon logging camp (52.287498, -122.301170), sir.  They speak of something that may be within our purview.  When the relief shift arrived to the camp they found a scene, as they described it, "out of a nightmare."  Bodies strewn about the camp, missing chunks of flesh.  Blood on every surface.  Most of the men fled immediately, those who stayed have not been heard from since.  A few reported that during their mad scramble they saw a figure, bone white and huge, but man-shaped.  They claimed it's eyes glowed in the darkness.  Beginning standard data retrieval and review process, with secondary protocols.  Beyond the standard intelligence gathering at the scene, I suggest trying to place an agent within Roxxon to see what they are withholding.  It is possible they have run afoul of an eco-terrorism group using this description as a cover.  I am forwarding the situation report to the other regional facilities.

EIGHTEEN DAYS AGO

Agent Stevenson, Eyes Only
The reports have recurred, sir.  San Jose Logging Company camp (52.187996, -122.226850).  The camp was torn apart.  The reports are even more intriguing than before.  Again they speak of a humanoid figure, larger than most men, bone white, with glowing eyes.  This time, there was a survivor, a trucker who had just pulled into the camp when the potential 0-8-4 struck.  He had heard of the Roxxon camp and immediately fled.  He claims the creature was screaming in an unearthly language as it struck.  There has been no identifiable exo-activity in the last month, so if this is an 0-8-4 of non-terrestrial origin, it has been in wait for some time.  It is more plausible that it is terrestrial.  I have attached a roster of appropriate local agents to begin tracking procedures.  Situation report forwarded.

FOURTEEN DAYS AGO

Agent Stevenson, SHIELD Regional Commanders
Sirs, the situation has escalated.  The town of Clinton, BC has been attacked.  Local law is mobilizing heavily and there is talk of involving Canadian Armed Forces.  Our agents attempting to track this 0-8-4 have been unable to pin it down, it is outpacing our projected radius of its movement.  It seems likely that the city of Kamloomps may be attacked next, therefore it is advisable that CANWEST be deployed there in preparation.  I advise that at least one other response team be assembled.  Agents should be stationed at the towns of Ashcroft, Logan Lake, and Merritt, in case the 0-8-4 bypasses expected movement again.

Agent Stevenson, Eyes Only
Be advised, sir, that the other facilities in the region are reporting that they do not have the forces to spare between the search for Deathlok, activity at the Science and Technology Academy, and their own facility missions.  I've asked each to send at least two agents to us in hopes that we can put together a secondary response team and reinforce CANWEST.  It is unlikely that we will be able to place agents at every potentially endangered town.

EIGHT DAYS AGO

Agent Stevenson, CANWEST Response Team, Response Team Bravo
The 0-8-4 has bypassed all expected targets.  It was spotted outside the town of Hope.  Several local farmers have gone missing.  This is a priority one order for all agents to redeploy.  CANWEST should report to Hope, Bravo to Agassiz.  SHIELD command notified.

THREE DAYS AGO

Agent Stevenson, CANWEST Response Team, Response Team Bravo
The 0-8-4 appears to be headed to the Harrison Hot Springs Resort.  Pursue and engage.

Part 3 - Sample Characters
Part 4 - The Show
Part 5 - The Drones
Part 6 - Roxxon
Part 7 - The Armory

The Fate of SHIELD: Part 1 - The Observatory

Place:
Name: The Observatory
Issue/Aspect: A Remote SHIELD Facility, A View of the Stars

The Observatory
Located underneath Blaney Lake, about an hour from Vancouver, BC, the Observatory is patched into the University of British Columbia's liquid mirror telescope. The Observatory was originally built in the 80's as part of SHIELD's gradual adoption of Reagan's proposed "Star Wars" defense system. It was later used to watch for incoming dangerous objects, such as meteors, asteroids, and falling satellites. It has tracked SHIELD upper atmospheric missions over western North America and Russian test flights. The Observatory also serves as home base for SHIELD's CANWEST 6-member response team and has enough space to house up to three different response teams and science laboratories.

Face:
Name: Agent  Michael Stevenson
Issue/Aspect: Watching from the Sidelines, Agent of SHIELD, Balancing OPS and SCI

Michael Stevenson
Current head of The Observatory, chosen for past training completed with NASA, Agent Stevenson is a serious and taciturn individual.  Stevenson, oddly, does allow a great deal of freedom to the agents under his command, given their status as a tactical response team requiring agents to have already cleared level 6, barring special exceptions.  He is a combat expert, but his position as head of the facility often keeps him at the facility rather than in the field.  He has expressed no displeasure at this situation, but it is clear he feels he could be an asset in many of the situations CANWEST responds to.

Face:
Name: Zorya
High Concept: SHIELD AI of the Observatory
Trouble: Trapped in Cyberspace
Phase 1: All That's Fit to Know
Skills
Great +4: Lore
Good +3: Investigate, Notice
Stunts 
I Can See You...: +2 to Notice anything within The Observatory
The Night's Mirror: +2 to Investigate any stellar activity

Physical Stress: -

Mental Stress: OO

Refresh: 2

Zorya

Zorya has no physical body to speak of (unless you count the mainframes within The Observatory). Instead, she is present as the voice of a young woman with a very slight Russian accent. While there have been several information-gathering algorithms working in The Observatory's systems since as early as 1990, Zorya was installed not long after the Battle of New York. She bears clear relation to Tony Stark's JARVIS AI. She is somewhat less independent than JARVIS appears to be, instead staying very close to her directives to maintain The Observatory and assess all incoming stellar data. There are a few lines in her code which dub this main operating protocol for Zorya the "Utrennyaya Protocol."

Despite frequently trying to be upbeat, Zorya has a somewhat sarcastic personality, probably thanks to Stark. Rumors have circulated that Stark chose, before releasing Zorya to SHIELD, to give the bare bones version of the AI the Russian theme as a nod to Natasha Romanov. Whatever the case, Zorya is fiercely protective of The Observatory and the agents stationed there. She has a series of drones which can act as her manipulation apparatus within The Observatory, but which have a limited range in which she can maintain control outside of those premises. Zorya is also highly curious, keeping tabs on every bit of information that she can, which not all agents find pleasant.

Part 2 - The Mission
Part 3 - Sample Characters
Part 4 - The Show
Part 5 - The Drones
Part 6 - Roxxon
Part 7 - The Armory

Depression and Gaming, For Me

I generally try and keep things positive on this blog.  Gaming, be it boardgames, videogames, or roleplaying games, is a refuge for me and focusing on the negative aspects of these hobbies makes them less so.  So generally, when I start to feel depressed, I just get quiet rather than letting that depression color what I'm saying about things I love.

And it's been pretty quiet here.

So maybe I should talk about the depression a bit and my journey in my hobbies, since they sort of parallel each other.

My depression really starts at the end of my preteen years and the start of my teenage ones.  My parents were first separating, then divorcing, during this period.  My dog ran away three separate times, before finally never coming back.  I had to leave all my friends and go to a different school for the second time in my life.  My pet turtle died.  I was diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder and then depression.  And in eighth grade I had a major surgery to correct the fact that my left leg grew faster than my right.

Until that point I wasn't always an enthusiastic athlete, but I was athletic and in excellent shape.  I played sports and dreamed of playing organized, maybe even professional, basketball.  I didn't realize that dream would die with the surgery, and I didn't realize how much it'd hurt.  But I'm not sure I've ever recovered from it.  A little over a year after the first surgery, I had a second for a fractured kneecap.  By the time that had healed, I'd spent almost two full years out of three in casts.  And I'd gained a large portion of the weight I've yet to manage to put back off.

I have been socially awkward since I told my kindergarten class I wanted to be a paleontologist and they all laughed at me.  It got a little worse each year until I found myself a high school freshman eating alone in a dark classroom with older kids hurling trash (including a battery which hit me in the head) at me.  I was suicidal at that point.

It was roleplaying, and writing, that saved me.

I first played videogames at three years old.  My parents bought a NES with Super Mario Brothers and Duck Hunt.  By the time Mega Man 3 came out, I was trying to come up with my own bosses and levels, and telling the kids at school how to act them out.

My third grade teacher gave us an assignment to write a story.  Mine was "The Futuristic Dinosaur."  The teacher took my writing (and illustrations!) and bound it into cloth and cardboard binding and entered it into a contest.  I don't recall winning anything, but I was more proud of my silly little book than anything.  I still have it.

My only older cousin introduced me to first DnD and then BattleTech shortly thereafter.  Between recording KASS (kickass radio, naturally) tapes, playing Final Fantasy while pulling all-nighters, and playing tag with our friends, we came up with the Stanley's Callers, a BattleTech mercenary team whose colors were purple and gold.  We even had shirts.  And I was writing about the characters we'd come up with.

In sixth grade, I submitted a story I'd written about them to a writing contest.  Again, no victory, but at 12 pages, it was the longest thing I'd ever written.  It had four characters, loosely based on myself, my cousin, my sister, and a character from GI Joe.

And then the writing stopped.  For three years.

But the ideas didn't.  In this period the seeds of some of my oldest characters had their roots.  Kayle, swordsman and defender.  Originally a Saturday morning cartoon style hero complete with transformation sequence.  Legaius, shamanistic speaker-to-wolves.  Originally Legacy, child of heroes, fighting to find his way.  Lancer, high-soaring spearman.  Originally a paladin in service of justice.

They were the ticket to my solution.  I made friends with a couple of other freshmen not long after the battery incident.  Eventually we'd be called "Loners in a Group."  One of them told me about online, play by post roleplaying he was doing.  I took the plunge.

My depression had begun to lift and with it the block to my writing.

By the time I hit college, I was writing a page a day of my own fiction on top of assignments for class.  My depression was at its nadir; I was happy, had a robust group of friends, and I had confidence that I could make my new dream of being a published author work. I played videogames daily, boardgames frequently, and roleplaying games weekly.

Short, intense bouts of depression have come and gone over the last ten years.  But for about the last 10 months, I've been fighting a particularly intense swing.  It got a lot worse when I started having to work more over the summer, not because of the work but because I was pushing myself beyond my physical limits while fighting depression-born anxiety about every facet of my job.

I managed to stick to my writing, and healthy eating/living, goals for the first few months, but over the last six, I've struggled to accomplish anything beyond putting one foot in front of the other. Worse, I didn't even realize what was happening until about three months ago at a concert.  The artist was discussing her own low points and suddenly I was outside myself in a moment of clarity.  I used the brief momentum I had from that to try and get help.  I've been seeing doctors and taking supplements.

My games have never stopped during this time, but keeping notes has been a struggle.  Turning those notes into posts, more so.  I have three WoW sessions waiting to be finished.  But as the darkness is slowly receding, I'm starting to write more.  I'm hoping I'll have something to show for it, soon.

Until then I leave this encouragement.  We all get lost in the dark sometimes, but those of us who build a community out of interacting through games have a light in the dark if we choose to look.

War of Ashes: Post-playtest

So normally, I do write ups for each game session, and I take notes during play so I can track it.

Unfortunately, I find it really hard to do that and GM at the same time.  So instead, I'll talk a bit about the setting of War of Ashes, the rules for the game, and our characters (and how the first two items affected them).

The setting of War of Ashes was, for me, the real gem of this playtest.  Probably not a shock to most who'll read this.  Evil Hat and Zombiesmith have been describing it as "grimsical," a portmanteau of grim and whimsical.  That's definitely a good fit as a descriptor.  The creatures of War of Ashes are cute.  Even the ravenous and terrifying Kuld are basically like hairless frog cousins of Stitch from Lilo and Stitch.  And yet they're out and about dismembering one another for food, a chance at survival, and in the name of their gods.  The contrast is a bit like the old Reese's "you got chocolate in my peanut butter!" commercials.

The setting info in the playtest was DENSE, but I think a lot of that comes from a lack of finished art and no real finalized layout work.  It took me a while to get through it, so I kept my scenario simple: the players were recruited by the Church of Agaptus to retrieve sacred Ghas (giant riding geese of my creation).  We all got to taste a bit of the world, but not so much our lack of knowledge distracted from play.  It was great, too, that War of Ashes encouraged the inclusion of new races, critters, and locations in the world, paving the way for the Ghas, which became a nice combination of comic relief and living macguffin.

By the time my regular GM took over in our second playtest, I felt I had enough of a grip on the world to play a priest of Atronia, who joined up with the other players to discover who was smuggling baby Kuld into Elvorix territory.  Playing was as much fun as GMing, which is a wonderful thing to be able to say.  The setting and tone were such a hit that we plan on being able to keep our War of Ashes campaing as our backup should our main campaigns need a week off.

There were some cool aspects to the War of Ashes rules, as well.  My favorite, especially as GM was "Divine Interest."  As players did really well or poorly, they attracted divine interest from the generally well-meaning but bungling (and slightly vengeful) gods of Agaptus.  It was great fun watching the dread of divine interest build in my players, making even simple pathfinding and animal wrangling almost as high tension as pitched combat.  It was just fantastic.

The system overall is built on the bones of Fate Accelerated Edition, which was easy to pick up for both our Fate vets (most of the group) and our one Fate newbie.  I'm convinced the barebones approach to Fate is not just a good in for younger roleplayers, but also for those used to the six-stat system of DnD/Pathfinder (and that seems to be the logic behind Fate: Freeport, which I recently picked up).  It was fast to get into and serves as a strong primer for the full version of Fate.

We also played with the Weight and Froth systems in War of Ashes.  Weight is something we're adapting over to our WoWFate sessions (as are lethal dice, which I'll get to momentarily); simply put, size matters and when a Ghas (weight 2) charged a weight 1 Evorix, the extra oomph added by that weight difference felt very substantial.  Froth represents a sort of battle rage, eventually leading to the use of lethal dice (also allowed by certain weapons).  Lethal dice cut straight to the consequences of an opponent, skipping stress, making them perfect indicators of when "shit just got real!"

All in all, this gave our somewhat narrowly scoped all-Evorix party a lot more room to play than one might suspect.  We had the previously divinely-touched soldier from the north, who wielded a sword of the gods.  His girlfriend, the dirksherd, who was always irritated that her mouse-like flock was thought of as a food source.  They were joined by the soldier's Beaker-inspired, meeping standard bearer.  They met a Kuld-researcher who just wanted to give peace a chance (and later got divinely swapped into a Kuld body).  There was also the retired soldier turned Ghas farmer who couldn't keep his critters under control; a bard who sang everything, sometimes violently, who just wanted into politics; and a beautiful, not-god-fearing Evorix who was handy with a knife.  When I joined, I played a conman priest who used moss in all his rituals, as well as his clothes.

Because the rules were simple and the setting encouraged us to get a little weird, we came up with a really entertaining bunch.  I could seriously see them as a cartoon that would be all-ages appropriate (which is not always a thing we're good at).  Everything seemed finely tuned towards directing us back to that grimsical tone, and our sessions were better for it.  I'd encourage everyone to look for this one when it comes out.

War of Ashes Playtest

While I'm getting the newest WoWFate post set, I think it'd be good to mention that my group got into Evil Hat/Zombiesmith's War of Ashes playtest and we'll be running that the next couple weeks.

The setting is what the makers have been describing as "grimsical," which is a portmanteau of grim and whimsical.  I've been describing it as muppet vikings.  I'll run the playtest this week, and pur usual GM will follow up next week.

My plan, when I play, is to be Urp, priest of the god of moss.  Urp will use moss in all his divinations (and let it grow in his fur), while trying really, really hard to not actually be noticed by the gods.  I'm really looking forward to both weeks.  Expect follow up posts for that in the near future.

WoWFate: Beard War

The Quillboar, convinced by Phred, attempted to react reenact dwarven birth.  They snipped a bit of Brim's beard, and tried to concoct a plan to pass through Urist's legs as the beardless dwarf was probably the female.

Meanwhile, Thorren's air elemental caught up to Etiainen, trailing her back to the caravan.  It agreed with her that most mortals were confusing, but sided with Thorren over the elder shaman's concern for his apprentice.

At the Razor Fen, most everyone had fallen asleep, save for a few Quillboar who began snipping at the hair of Brim and Urist.  In his sleep, Urist registered these sounds and brought Urist back to his traumatic experiences against the Scourge.  He woke screaming about an imminent attack, much to the dismay of the Quillboar.

The adventuring party quickly sprang into action. Yshara gathered a group of piglets to her side.  Phred drew his daggers and encouraged the defense.  Thorren readied his command of the elements. Zulfi'shi summoned spirits. And Brim went right on snoring. After it became clear nothing was actually happening, the stealthy rogue slipped in and knoxked Urist out, ending the kerfuffle.  The leaders of the Razor Fen demanded the adventurers leave because of the disruption, and the group had no choice but to comply.

As they headed back to the caravan with their recovered supplies, Brim woke, having remained unaware of what had transpired.  The party hastily explained to him, and Etiainen, what had happened and Brim, bow quite angry, demanded that he and Urist go back to apologize to their potential customers.

They set out, with Phred in tow, as the rest of the party settled in to get the caravan ready to move come morning.  Once at the Fen, Brim and Urist did apologize.  The Quillboar agreed to accept it should the Lightbrew brothers agree to take on apprentices. Phred backed this plan and Brim quickly accepted for both brothers.  

After quite a bit of debate over how apprentices should be picked, Brim simply approached two Quillboar, asked a few questions and announced he was taking one of them. Urist quickly followed suit.  Their names were Keb-keb amd Hogwa and they were extremely eager to learn the ways of brewing Lightbrew Ale.

Once everyone had regathered, the caravan set out again sending dude to warn Honor Hold about the Undead in Razor Fen Downs.  Hopefully, that garrison would be able to defend the area until Orgrimmar or Theramore could send reinforcements.  Once that was done, the party would continue on their mission to Ashenvale via the Crossroads.

As they travelled, they came upon an oasis.  Thorren felt something off about the elements there and was only just able to warn the others before a sudden storm gathered and something attacked!

That something turned out to be a centaur raiding party, led by a hige centaur in ornate armor carrying a spear of Tauren craftsmanship.  The leader singled out Thorren and told his followers to handle the others while he faced the Tauren.  He charged in , reading a powerful strike, but Thorren was ready and able to mostly deflect it.

Two of the archer centaurs fired artows at Urist, who was lightly injured but undaunted by the attack.  Etianen, wanting to help her mentir, fired a lightning bolt at the lead centaur, but his armor glowed and absorbed the attack.

Meanwhile, Zulfi'shi launched skeletal skulls at some of the centaurs towards the back of the group, burning at their skin.  The centaur stormcallers retaliated with lightning strikes, which most of the adventurers dodged after Etiainen blocked a good amount of it.  Brim and Parker, angry now, angled to get into good offensive position.

The centaur leader backed away, readying for another charge, but Thorren closed with him and disarmed his foe with a mighty swing of his axe. At almost the same moment, Etiainen blasted the centaur with redirected lightning, rocking him.

One of the archers took a shot at Brim, but the Dwarven hunter was ready and fired a blast back into his foe, killing the centaur.  Urist added shielding to his companions as Zulfi'shi attacked another of the lackey centaurs with spirit attackers.  Phred stealthily cut around the groups, cutting off their route of escape.  Meanwhile, Parker mauled yet another centaur marauder to death.

The centaur leader managed to trip Thorren up and moved into position to trample him.  Seeing her mentor hurt, Etiainen asked if he needed healing, but Thorren refused it, despite being heavily wounded.  Instead Etiainen blasted the centaur leader again, and this time it struck home.

Another arrow found purchase in Brim's shoulder, but Urist was already blessing Parker a charge to avenge the Dwarven hunter.  Parker chomped down on another Centaur, taking it out of the fight as the Centaur's companions failed to slow the raging bear.

Zul'fishi began preparing herself for a far greater spell than her norm, chanting quietly in Zandali.  Yshara, needing to close the gap with a distant foe, tookoff running in her bear form, leapt while changing into her Night Elf form, cast a spell, and hit the ground running once more as a bear.  Phred, for his part, used the distraction to down a foe with a well-placed knife to the back.

The Centaur leader managed to trample Thorren, who was badly wounded but refused to yield.  Etiainen went against her mentor's wishes and healed him.  Urist dollowed that up with a heal of his own.  Meanwhile Brim used his rifle to fell another Centaur archer.

In the momentary lull, Zul'fishi completed her spell, using it to have entangling hands grasp at all of the Centaurs, slowimg their leader greatly.  He made to charge, but Thorren was ready this time.  The Tauren had retrieved the spear and found it of Tauren-make.  Etiainen used a spell to blind the Centaur leader, who was left open to a huge thrust from Thorren's spear.  

Phred, Urist, and Yshara finished the remaining Centaur.  Yshara recovered the leather armor of the Centaur and Thorren determined that he would return the spear to Tauren representatives ge hoped to find at The Crossroads.

WoWFate: Rogues Do It From Behind

The next morning, the assembled team was summoned to join the caravan headed to the Crossroads, which only Thorren had much knowledge of, through  his interactions with Taurajo, Razor Hill, and Orgrimmar.  At the caravan, they met a rogue Orc named Fhreyd, who would later become known as Sleepy Rogue.

The first leg of the journey past rather uneventfully.  The creatures, and peoples, of the Barrens kept their distance and the party could relax.  When they stopped for the night, the adventurers started chatting amongst themselves.  Brim, still offended that Thorren had chosen Stormstout Brew over Lightbrew, challenged the Tauren to an armwrestling contest.  If Thorren won, Brim wouldn't bother him about the Lightbrew again.  If Brim won, Thorren would trade his Stormstout in for Lightbrew.  The dwarf struggled nobly, but was no mach for the power of the Tauren.

A bit more conversation, including planning the watch rotation, and the group bedded down for the night.  Brim and Zulfi'shi took first watch.

Ash, the faerie dragon companion of Yshara, flew off investigating.  Not long later Ash returned, clearly alarmed.  He woke Yshara, and in turn everyone else, and set out to kead his mistress back to what he'd found.  The others quickly followed.

Parker and Thorren quickly covered the distance of Yshara's lead and the trio discovered an Orcish farm surrounded by raptors.  Atop the farm was an one-armed Orc farmer, clearly being hunted by the raptors.

Further back, Etiainen tripped Zulfi'shi, drastically slowing the Witch Doctor.  At the farm, Thorren's sharp eyes revealed young raptors eating the farmer's pigs.  Having just arrived and trying to see, Zulfi'shi summoned ghost lights, appearing as skeletal figures.  These glowing apparitions reminded Urist of the Scourge and he turned to head back to the caravan and rally reinforcements.

Thorren's air elemental, Nilc'hi, moved to open the gate to the pigs' pen.  The startled young raptors moved to flee.  Etiainen and Zulfi'shi fired elemental and magical force into the raptors, but it was Parker, at Brim's call, and Yshara, in bear form, who waded in and dealt heavy damage to the raptors.  The farmer called down that his children were inside and threatened by more raptors.  Thorren plunged into the building.

As Brim, Parker, Yshara, Zulfi'shi, and Etiainen tore into the raptors outside, the sounds of Urist and the caravan guards nearing grew increasingly apparent.  The raptors fled before Thorren could find the children, but they ended up being safe.

The farmer thanked the group for saving his family.  Urist's force arrived and began to search for the Scourge.  Zulfi'shi explained that what Urist had seen was her magic, not actual Undead and everyone calmed.  A plan to find the raptors was formulated, at nearly the same time everyone realized the caravan was completely unguarded, save for Fhreyd.

Brim and Yshara set out to hunt the raptors while everyone else rushed to the caravan.  Most of the goods were missing.  One of the guards found tge rogue and accused him of having stolen then, but Fhreyd replied that he'd seen Quillboar taking them and scattering.

Etiainen and Thorren spotted tracks which lent strength to Fhreyd's story, but with Brim and Yshara still after the raptors they'd have to wait.  It wasn't long, though.  The raptors had vanished and tge pair returned to camp.  Brim immediately agreed to track the Quillboar.

As Etiainen and Brim led the way following the tracks, the party set to some arguing.  Zulfi'shi insulted Etiainen and then questioned Urist.  Brim defended his brother as Thorren chastized Etiainen for not giving the others a chance, angering his apprentice.

After some walking, the group arrived at Razor Fen Downs, home of the nearest Quillboar clan.  Once there, the Quillboar threatened the team and claimed rights over the stolen, and unguarded, goods.  Yshara used her memories of Agamaggon to get the Quillboar to hear the party out and Thorren, Yshara, and Brim spoke at length to convince the Quillboar that handing over the goods might be in their best interests.

All of this discussion convinces the Quillboar to allow the adventurerers to speak with their chieftess, named Negara.  In that conversation, Thorren advocated for the Quillboar to petition to join the newly forming League of Kalimdor.  His suggestion is that the Quillboar cede control of the Gold Road, and defend against attacks upon it, in return for status as a member of the League and protection of the territorial boarders around their Razor Fens.

Negara questions Thorren's ability to convince his superiors of this agreement, but also recognized that as a Tauren and a member of the Earthen Ring, Thorren would stand by his word.  Negara had her shamans summon up an earth elemental to make the agreement binding, with the added caveat that Thorren return to defend the Quillboar's territory should the League rebuff the Quillboar's offer.

Etiainen, still irritated with her team and Thorren, set out back to camp to let the caravan guards know that the Quillboar would be returning the stolen supplies.  Thorren noticed her departure and sent his air elemental ally, Nilch'i, to follow her. The rest of the party dispersed to converse with the Quillboar, rest, and load the carts for return to the caravan.

Yshara gathered a large pack of young Quillboar, whom she regaled with stories of Agamaggon and his role in the War of the Ancients.  The Lightbrew brothers introduced their ale to the Quillboar, who loved it.  This led the Quillboar to ask Thorren to leave them behind, but yhe Tauren said he still needed Brim and Urist.

Thorren was also told of a Scourge take over of Razor Fen Downs, leading to Urist being called in.  The Dwarf Paladin suggested that he needed to inform Orgrimmar and call back a large army to stage an attack on the infected Razor Fen.  Meanwhile, Fhreyd, had heard of the Quillboar interest in Brim and Urist and had begun plotting a way to both irritate the Dwarves and placate the Quillboar...

Demigods in a showdown!

Scion was heading into a hiatus, but there was still the issue of a mad swordsmith to deal with first.

The Hestia reconvened and asked to be shown to Masamune.  Instead we were delivered to a man named Shiro Yatsamura and asked to turn over oir weapons.  Though concerned about it, the team agreed, with Leander turning over his spear despite it being transformed into a belt buckle.  Yatsamura, though, was definitely armed with chained kama attached to his belt.

He suggested to the Hestia that it was wise we had decided to turn ourselves in, but Brock and Jessica quickly corrected him.  William and Leander laid out what they'd known of Muramasa's plans, including the ingredients he'd had the Hestia gather.  Yatsamura was immediately and obviously concerned, which prompted Leander to offer to draw the plans he'd seen and memorized while in Muramasa's workshop.

Leander drew up the plans and quickly the military commander and the Hestia reached an agreement to assault Muramasa's workshop and its Titan-sympathetic inhabitants.  Masamune arrived and beganto look over the plans, preparing countermeasures.  That done, the Hestia led the military forces to the workshop.

Rivkah quickly retrieved Nick, but not his gremlins, using a few quick excuses to get the Scion of Hermes out.  The Hestia quickly formed into three teams.  Rivkah, Jessica, and Brock would provide the frontal assault.  Lha-mo would attack from above, hoping to smash her way to the plans and artifacts.  Leander, Nick, and William, with their ability to bypass walls and doors would stealthily approach from the rear, avoiding the probable bulk of the fighting in their approach to the artifacts they'd gathered.

The assault began and the military forces quickly drew out Muramasa's Titan-sworn.  Rivkah's team travelled just ahead of them, smashing through the gates and straight in the front door of the workshop as the forces inside streamed out to meet the attack.  Lha-mo flew high above the building and dropped, growing in size as she descended, until she crashed mightily through the roof and into the central chambers of the workshop.  Leander's team had even fewer obstacles, approaching unseen and blinking through the walls and doors in their path.

From there it seemed to be a fairly straightforward snatch and dash.  The team gathered what they'd given Muramasa, meddled with his charts and diagrams and moved to leave.  Rivkah went up through the hole Lha-mo had made.  Leander used his ability to step through walls to pull Nick and Jessica out.  Brock, Lha-mo, and William began a climb outwards.  William was last and almost clear when Muramasa crashed into the scene in his giant mecha suit.

Unfortunately for him, the rest of the team hadn't gotten very far, meaning Nick's gremlin sidekicks hadn't gone far. At a word from Nick, the descended upon the suit, quickly disabling it.  The Demigods retreated as the military forces washed over the workshop.

In the quiet moment they had, the Demigods decided to hide the items they'd gathered in the pouch (with ship!) at Leander's belt.  That achieved, the returned to Masamune 's workshop to retrieve the armor the master smith had forged them.  Fully equipped, it was time to go after the God of the Last Whisper, the nascent Titan of radiation.

The Demigods took flight on Tak Me, scouting until they'd found a large square with an immense thrown filled with throngs of worshipful radiation ghosts.  There sat the new Titan.  The Hestia landed on a nearby skyscraper to talk over their plan.

In the end, the simple plan seemed best.  Brock and Nick would fire down into the crowd, thinning them while the rest of the team headed for the God of the Last Breath.  Leander would direct traffic as Rivkah and Lha-mo hit him with everything they had.  Jessica, William, and Tak Me would pitch in wherever they could.

They sprang into action.  Brock's first shot was a well-chosen one, wiping out a third of the Titanling's forces in an instant.  Rivkah dove off the building, carrying Leander.  She flew at high speed , dropping her compatriot into a crowd where he impaled on of the radiation ghost as she smashed through the huge stone throne.

Lha-mo landed just after them, having grown to immense size.  Her icy claws tore into the God of the Last Breath.  Nick took his shot, scoring a hit, and Tak Me let Jessica aboard and flew down.

The timing was just right as the young Titan launched an assault back into the sky scraper, bringing it tumbling down.  Nick leapt off, much to everyone's dismay as he seemed to have no plan of descent.  Meanwhile Brock jumped to another building, ready to resume his firing.

Rivkah used the God of the Last Breath's diverted focus to grab him and smash her knee into his tailbone.  Jessica followed that up, using her apples to distract him as William lashed out with his scarf (though missing) and Lha-mo sunk icicle claws into his face.  Meanwhile, Tak Me caught the plummeting Nick as if they'd had it planned.

Sensing his opening, Leander called forth thunder to echo his voice, his orders rumbling through the caverns of the underworld.  The team quickly capitalized.  Lha-mo sent crossing walls of ice slashing towards the Titanling.  Leander darted in, slashing at one knee as William closed and wrapped the young Titan's arm in his scarf.  The Hod of the last Breath struggled to be free, but it was too late.

Rivkah, taking those openings and the distraction probided by Jessica, to smash down the Titan's knee.  He dropped to a knee and Rivkah smashed a lightning wrapped fist into his head.  The Titanling was down for the count and the demigods dropped the nearby environs on him, seemingly ending his threat.

Next the Hestia would need to pay their debt to Agwe...

WoWFate: I'm On A Boat

After having completed repairs to the ship and setting off again fron the Murloc-infested island, the travellers landed at Northwatch Hold, near the Tauren village of Taurajo. Upon docking, Brim hurridly rushed off the boat stopping near the guardhouse at the edge of the dock.

Yshara was close behind, walking regally down the gangplank and introducing herself to the guards.  Urist, ever-cautious, followed, keeping a careful eye out. 

Yshara quickly struck up a conversation with a Night Elf guardsman who she initially confused for a guardswoman, much to his embarassment.  Zulfi'shi also headed down the ramp and after a short conversation, Thorren and Etiainen also disembarked.

They passed the guardhouse, heading for the magistrate, who was further down.  He was quite rude, making disparaging remarks about almost everyone before curtly leading everyone to the town hall, where the meeting was set to be held.  The meeting was set to begin in about 30 minutes, leaving everyone time to get settled in.

Most of the party went alone to their rooms, but Etiainen accompanied Thorren to his.  They discussed the need for Etiainen to try and overcone her distaste abd distrust of other people, with no strong resolution being found.

Shortly thereafter a page arrived to each room, summoning the collected adventurers to the meeting hall.  Therin were collected a number of important dignitaries, including Thrall, Jaina Proudmore, Hamuul Runetotem, and Malfurion Stormrage.  The greeted the heroes, who returned the greeting with the respect and awe due the leaders.

Thorren was the main speaker for the Horde adveturers, greeting the Warchief with the phrase "awaihilo ich porah," meaning strength and honor.  The great leaders of Kalimdor laid out the broader mission: ease tension between the Kaldorei and Orcs by ceasing lumbering in Ashenvale.  In return, the Night Elves would cede Fel Fire Hill to the Orcs to lumber.  The gathered adventurers would facilitate this by surveying Fel Fire Hill, gathering intelligence on the inhabiting demons, and reporting back to General Saurfang, who was overseeing the military actions.  This would lead to a concerted effort to purge the Fel taint from the area.

Etiainen and Thorren discussed ways to do this, and asked Thrall and Hamuul's advice.  A few other questions about the region gained the party a sense of the tension that was building in the area and the disposition of Silverwing Lodge and the Warsong Clan in the area.  Everyone signed on to the task and we were informed that the group would make the first part of their trip escorting a caravan from Northwatch Hold to the Crossroads.

Once the meeting had ended, the party tenporarily dispersed but all ended up at the tavern.  Brim, naturally, immediately set to drinking.  The patrons of the bar seemed to universally agree that his family's lightbrew was unappealing and "tasted like piss."  Thorren, having been part of the teams organized by Rexxar, Vol'jin, Rohkkan, and Chen to find Baine Bloodhoof when he was kidnapped, asked after Stormstout Brew, and was pleasantly surprised to find the inn had it. Etiainen, for her part, was uncomfortable in the tavern but unwilling to part from Thorren.

Zulfi'shi, for her part, ordered "something special" and the bartender brought her a Noggenfogger Ale.  As she drank it, she slowly transformed to appear as a skeleton.  Which was not for the best, as Urist saw her and had a flashback to the Scourge invasion. Brim managed to calm him, though, by pointing out the Troll's transformation was cause by the brew and temporary.  A little redirection towards the idea of fresh brewing some Lightbrew didn't hurt, either.

With Urist calm again, Yshara and Brim tried to sit and make friends Thorren and Etiainen, but the Tauren's preference for Stormstout Brew over Lightbrew and the Troll's preference for "not people" prevented much success on that front.  Offended, Brim enlisted Urist to make a fresh batch of Lightbrew. They set to furious work, but it took them so long that everyone else had headed back to the inn before they coukd try the batch.

WoWFate: I Am Murloc

The various individuals assigned to a mysterious mission for the nascent League of Kalimdor boarded a ship headed south.  Yshara the Nightelf Druid was first, in Darnassus.  Thorren, Tauren Shaman, and Etainen, his Troll apprentice, boarded in Orgrimmar.  Brim and Eurist Lightbrew, Dwarven brothers, joined them in Theramore.  They were making good time before being run aground on a small island.

As the crew of the ship made repairs a varitable army of Murlocs advanced on them and the heroic passengers set to the defense.  Thorren, ever vigilant, struck first, but the Murlocs dodged away from his blast of lightning.

Etainen reacted quickly, though, placing an earthbind totem down to slow one of the Murloc packs and followed that by drawing the moisture from their skin, weakening them.

Transformed into a savage bear, Yshara took a surprising tactic, dancing to stupify one of the Murloc packs closing on her.  Brim capitalized by shooting one of the Murlocs in its spear-toting hand, but the blast was so powerful that it incapacitated the amphibious threat.  His pet bear, Parker, waded into the fray chomping on Murlocs left and right.  Eurist placed shields on the other heroes, helping them withstand attacks.

For a moment, it looked like the Murlocs might overwhelm the boat.  Thorren took two massive cuts and Brim was beaten.  Etainen and Eurost worked to heal them as Yshara slammed into several other Murlocs.  Thorren used his immense Tauren size to stomp on the ground, stunning a number of Myrlics who Etainen finished off by dessication.  Eurist layed another shield on his brother and Brim and Parker finished off another pack of Murlocs.

The Murlocs turned and ran as a Sea Giant rose from the nearby ocean.  Unfortunately for the giant, the heroes had finally hit their stride.  Brim put several rounds into him, followed by a lightning bolt from Thorren and the coup de grace consisting of an icy spear through the neck by Etainen.  The giant fell and the journey to the rondevous could continue.

Terminus 12.8.13 Grand Finale Part 2!

The next room Room down, the final one before the Forge Room, held a blue and a purple Beholder.  Meggido quickly moved i to a defensive position, taking advantage of Sardis teleporting then backwards.  Vallo healed Adah-kah and the fight was on.

Unfortunately for the Beholders, it wasn't destined to be a long one.  Unleashing her fury, Sabriel annihilated tge purple Beholder.  Adah-kah slashed at the blue Beholder, beginning a torrent of attacks that left the eyebeast bleeding on the floor.  It was time for the last drop to the Forge Room.

The room seemed calm, but quickly an array of Beholders appeared!

The fight begun with Vallo pushing his teammates deeper into the room.  Maggido capitalized on this by drawing a big chunk of the Beholders to himself, keeping them from free movement.  Sardis immobilized another large chubk of the Beholders, meaning the No Pants Brigade had far more range of motion than their foes.

Adah-kah used that fact to dart in and launch a psychic assault on several of the Beholders, staggering them.  Sardis teleported the few Beholders not already pinned further away as Meggido pushed towards the largest Beholder, their apparent leader.

Sabriel used her wings and strength to smash into the blue and white Beholders.  At nearly the same moment, Meggido reacher the leader and engaged him.  The leader tried to fire back at Sabriel, but missed badly.

Vallo, having been preparing for this fight, laid out several bursts of fire from his crossbow, killing several of the lesser Beholders and gravely wounding the blue, white, and brown Beholders.

But now it was the Beholders' turn to strike.  They blasted the party, causing some damage, but nothing debilitating.  One of the lesser Beholders attacked and missed Adah-kah, who charged him in return and then flung another nearby Beholder into the Forge Fire.

Sardis, sensing the end of the long quest nearing, summoned her ensorceled succubus and commanded it to dominate the brown Beholder.  It successfully did so, temporarily eliminating a threat.  Then the succubus directed the brown Beholder closer to the leader.  Once there, it bit at its leader, scoring superficial damage.

Sabriel used the distraction to send a blast into both Beholders.  Unfortunately turnabout was fairplay and Meggido was forced to hit Sabriel, bloodying her, while she felt compelled to defend the Beholders.

Vallo took charge and sent a devestating blow into the lead Beholder and Adah-kah landed his own massive blow on the brown Beholder, finishing it off.  Temporarily at her own direction, the succubus killed one of the lesser Beholders.  Sardis damaged the leader further as Sabriel shook off the mind control.

The lead Beholder shifted Adah-kah slightly, then sent eye-rays into Meggido and the Nekhanj.  Adah-kah responded in kind, slashing at the Beholder.  Free to choose her own path again, the Succubus lashed out at another lesser Beholder... And Sardis, who went down in a heap.

Perhaps sensing an opportunity, the leader tried to shove everyone away, but only managed to move Meggido and temporarily weaken Sabriel.  He followed up by trying to freeze Sabriel and Sardis. Unfortunately for him, this didn't phase Sabriel, who shoved him at Meggido.  He countered, though bu shoving Meggido into the Forge Fire!

Being Warforged, Meggido passed through mostly unharmed, but it gave the party a brief scare.  Adah-kah teleported into range, stabbing at the unprepared Beholder.  Vallo launched a psychic assault to follow up and enraged the Beholder.  Moments later, Adah-kah, Meggido, and Sabriel teamed to bring the beast down, leaving the party alone with the Forge Fire.

The whine and shift in the Forge Fire's size the party had previously deduced was the sign of something coming through the rift.  Adah-kah, near the Fire had to dodge away as something immense crossed over.

Meggido, undaunted, siezed the momentary lull to place the linkage device onto the Forge Fire.  It immediately began to glow, seeming to steal a bit of vitality from Meggido.  Instinctively, the Warforged knew his life force had been bound to the device.  And in that moment it clamped into place, first charging off the interdimensional energies of the Forge Fire and then sealing them away.

Meanwhile, Adah-kah worked to stabilize Sardis while Sabriel covered them, and Vallo, against a few straggling Beholders. Vallo completed a healing spell and Sardis regained his feet, quickly looking to gather all the information he could about the situation.  In that moment the device finished its task, flying free of the former location of the Forge Fire, which had fallen silent.

And through the damaged Forge, the heroes could finally see the thing that had come through the Fire at the very end.  It was a Beholder the size of a city, which had yet to notice them as it crashed through the damaged home of the Warforged.  The No Pants Brigade fled the building lest it be dropped atop them.

As they regained their eagle mounts, they saw that the Beholder had become fixated on an approaching object, which appeared to be a cloudbank around a solid mass.  The heroes had saved the world from the threat of invasion but the mysteries in it had not all been solved...

Demigods in the Yakuza!

Other posts on Scion and Leander.  Last recap.

At the end of the last session, the Void had retreated into the darkness to try and regroup from the onslaught of the Hestia.  His respite didn't last long, though, as Tak Me but him and dragged him back out of the shadows.

Rivkah, William and Lha Mo quickly capitalized on the opening and struck out at the servant of Mikaboshi.  Jessica mocked him mercilously.  Leander calculated his next likely attack, but the Void staggered his strike to try and avoid it.

That threw off the coordinated assault, but Brock was undaunted and still managed to put a bolt of sunlight into his foe.  Lha Mo took the moment to heal Jessica, who had been wounded in the last exchange.  The Void, and his minions, traded attacks with the Hestoa while Jessica took a moment to heal Leander.  Leander managed to guess the Void's plot and directed a new assault.

While waiting for the Void to reappear, the Demigods cleared up a few of the villain's minions as Leander and Tak Me prepared their defenses.  Lha Mo took the oppprtunity to further heal Leander.

The Void emerged as a giant hand, but the band was ready for him and launched their own attack.  Tak me bit him again, pinning him down as Lha Mo put a powerful punch into the Void's body.  Rivkah added a leaping punch as William lashed out with Foecutter.  Jessica twisted fate and used her apples to distract the Void's minions.

The team got another set of blows in against the Void who vanished for an extremely long time.  When he returned, he forced Lha Mo to protect him.  She was compelled to do so, but the Void quickly formed a whirlpool of shadow, disappearing back into the body of Mikaboshi.  As he did, he told the Hestia that he had been ordered to leave behind a skull as evidence of his defeat.  The Demigods took it reluctantly and mae sure to search the rest of the cave before heading back to the Market.

There they were quickly rounded up by the Yakuza and taken back to the tower headquarters.  The team hurried to discuss their plans of what to tell the ancient ghost they'd met before, revealing more of their secrets to Jessica in the process.  They settled on trying not to lie while not revealing their connection to the demands of Kane Taoka.

The talk began that way, but the ancient ghost used his ability to talk to objects to interrogate the skull, who confirmed that the band had defeated the Void.  It winked over the shoulder of the Yakuza leader at the Hestia, who quickly decided to tell the ancient ghost of the skull's treachery, despite the potential risk to the band.  In the end, the ancient ghost decided to award the Hestia the Ghost of Little Boy as per their bargain.  The Demigods disguised it as garbage and took it back to Muramasa, along with the Flame of Kagatsuki.  Muramasa was very pleased, saying that with what the Hestia had returned with he could make his weapon "even more destructive."

With his knowledge of Muramasa, this set off alarm bells in Leander's head.  He shared that worry with his fellow Demigods and they made hushed and hurried plans to find Masamune, who was renowned for blades which would only cut what must be cut, to try and make an alternative weapon.  Nick was asked to remain behind with his gremlins to distract and slow Muramasa's progress...

Demigods in the Black Market!

Other posts on Scion and Leander.  Last recap.

Having completed the first stage of the quest to find the materials to forge a weapon to kill the nascent Titan, the Demigods made plans to check back with the shopkeeper, and his granddaughter, about what the team could expect in the trade district.  He, with much disapproval from his granddaughter, informed the team of what he knew of the trade district and mentioned that he had heard that the Yakuza had many rare goods they kept safeguarded.

Satisfied, the Hestia climbed aboard Tak Me and flew to the trade district.  The moved through the streets looking for any obvious Yakuza and rather brazenly asking passsersby where we could find them.  That quickly resulted in the team being surrounded by members of the Yakuza and directed to a nearby alley.

Once there, the Hestia informed these low level Yakuza that they wanted the ghost of little boy.  The goons were briefly hesitant, but the smooth words of Nick, Brock, and Jessica managed to sway them and they arranged to take the Demigods to the Yakuza's tower headquarters.

Being ushered to the top of the tower, the Demigods were introduced to an ancient and powerful yakuza ghost, who appeared to be the head of their organization in Yomi and implied some ability to step into any power vacuum that might arise in the underworld.  In the negotiations for little boy, the team made a fortuitous statement in voicing their distaste for the servants of Mikaboshi (despite the arrangement with Kane), and mentioned their previous fight with Titan cultists in Yomi.

That drew a response from the ancient ghost that the team was in the right mindset for the task the Yakuza would require of them to gain access to the ghost of Little Boy.  The Hestia were to face down the general of Mikaboshi in Yomi.  The ancient ghost provided transportation in rickshaws to a cave on the far side of the mountain where the Demigods had previously met with the Dark Mother.

Leander, using his powerful relic glasses, saw through the illusion the general had placed on his lair.  There was a deep cave with intensely dark tunnels.  These tunnels were quickly revealed to be magically darkened, much like the warehouse the Demigods had previously fought in, as no one could see despite their divine talents.

Brock, not willing to let this stop the team, began to glow with a brilliant light which allowed some vision, though it was far less powerful than it should have been.  Leander, not sure he could feel comfortable with that source of light as the only one, used his glasses to "see" via sonar.  Inspired, William stomped a foot on the floor and felt the echos in the earth which revealed to him the layout of the deep cave.  There were several large chambers in either direction and the team decided to move towards the right fork.

In the very first large chamber down that fork, an ambush was sprung.  Dark figures, nearly invisible in the dark, struck from all directions at the Demigods and the team was pushed to defend themselves.  Certain that the fight in the warehouse was related to events in the tunnels, Leander set out to find Mikaboshi's rune which powered the darkness.

Meanwhile, Brock was hit incredibly hard, knocking him back and creating a sprinkling of bright light.  Lha mo, for her part, grew to immense size and scratched at the walls and ceiling, ripping the rune of Mikaboshi on the cave roof to shreds.  Suddenly, light filled the space.

Jessica, ready to do her part, tossed a glowing, golden apple into the room.  Suddenly, the inky creatures that had been attacking the team were drawn to it, scrabbling and fighting one another in their attempt to gain control of it.  One of them managed to actually eat its fellow, but its victory was short lived as Rivkah smashed it through the floor.  The final inky being was similar squashed by Lha Mo.
one eats the other and then rivkah punches the other one into the ground.

Pushing forward, deeper into the tunnels, the team found ornate doors, seemingly sealing out the light.  The general of Mikaboshi, calling himself "The Void," beckoned the Hestia to enter.  The Hestia opened the doors, readying themselves for combat, and stepped inside.  He briefly tried to bargain, but the team informed him they were here to put him down.  As Brock shot at The Void to act on the threat, the shadows spread, dropping the room into darkness.

From that darkness, The Void punched at Brock, but missed and smashed into the floor.  Lha Mo grew once more, filling much of the room.  Brock shot at the darkness, but The Void had vanished back into the shadows clinging to the walls.  A moment later, as Leander calculated and the team tried to track their foe, The Void sent a spear of dark matter shooting down at Brock.  Rivkah dove into the way, deflecting the attack as Brock dodged away.

Suddenly inky minions jumped into the fray, the first among them leaping onto Rivkah, who spun and smashed it to the ground.  Another minion launched into Jessica, who shed her skin in absorbing its attack.  A third attacked Leander, who swatted it casually away as he barked orders to his compatriots.  Jessica, sensing a place to insert her powerful speaking skills, distracted The Void and the team launched their attack.

Brock fired a shot into the heart of the darkness, with a mighty swing of Foecutter by William and a rocky fist from Rivkah accompanying it.  Leander missed, but most of the attacks hit, doing damage to The Void, who disappeared into the darkness to regroup.

Terminus 12.8.13 The Grand Finale Part 1!

The No Pants Brigade decided to skirt the outside of the forge to reach the command chair, hoping that there would be fewer Beholders on that path.  We managed to avoid a lot of the enemy movements, but did come across a few Beholders blocking our route.

Meggido and Adah-kah moved in quickly and scored solid hits hits, seperating the Beholders from the less hearty members of the party.  Sardis and Sabriel struggled to connect with their own volleys, but Vallo did connect and used the chance to spur the party on.

A large purple Beholder moved in, managing to bypass Adah-kah and Meggido to advance on Sabriel and Sardis.  Meggido pulled him back, though, as one of the other Beholders temporarily petrified Adah-kah.  Sabriel got a solid shot off, bloodying one of the Beholders.  A cycle began in which the No Pants Brigade would score hits on the Beholders who repeatedly petrified the party.

Eventually the balance shifted, as Adahkah was able to pull the brown Beholder away as Sardis bloodied the purple Beholder.  The Beholders got a final burst of petrification off, but Meggido broke free.

Adah-kah used the opening to kill the brown Beholder and Vallo finished off one of the lesser Beholders.  Unfortunately, one of the Beholders scored a hit on Sabriel that put her on death's door.

The other party members teamed to rush the killing of the purple Beholder and stabalize the fallen Dragonborn.  They managed it, keeping Sabriel from passing away.

The team gathered themselves and readied for the final push.  Not too long later, the No Pants Brigade had reached the antichamber of the Warforged's Council Room.  Inside  the antichamber were three Beholders, one alive and two clearly undead.

Vallo pushed his teammates onward, getting Meggido into a place where the Warforged could pin the Beholders in a corner.  The party made quick work of them, with Sardis and Sabriel quickly crushing the living Beholder and one of the undead.  Adah-kah, slashed through the last remaining.  With a mighty heave, Meggido opened the door to the main chamber.

The Warforged rushed the room and got face to face with a large undead Beholder as Vallo sniped on of the small Beholders.  Behind the team, the three Beholders who had just been defeated rose back up.  They attacked, but Vallo sent one back to the grave as it tried to get at Adah-kah.

A large Beholder radiating an aura of death arrived as the team fought the lesser Beholders.  Vallo quickly showed the new arrival that he was unimpressed bu killing a blue Beholder and wounding a purple Beholder.  The large white Beholder attacked Sabriel, but couldn't put her down.  Adah-kah killed off the purple Beholder that Vallo had previously wounded.

Sardis added his own volley, striking the white Beholder with an acid burst before pushing him away in a booming of thunder.

He tried to move back in and get the last undead Beholder to help him, but Meggido kept it pinned down.  Vallo, Sardis and Sabriel weakened the brown Beholder that had been holding back and Adah-kah struck a killing blow on it. 

Sabriel killed the last of the small Beholders, and she and Meggido wounded the white Beholder.  He tried to retaliate, but the party manage to dodge the full assault.  Adah-kah, dogged in his pursuit, finished off the last of fhe undead Behilders and Sabriel put the killing blow to the white Beholder. 

Adahkah quickly moved to check the next room, spotting the wide hole created by the forced expansion of the Forge Fire.  Meggido, for his part, moved to the Command Chair and sat, immediately becoming linked to the Forge.  He locked the doors of the Forge to restrict the movements of the Beholders.  The Forge Fire began to whine and pulse and as the noise grew, and tge fire expanded, it became apparent something had just come through from the Beholders' world.  It settled back as Meggido continued his mental exploration.

Meggido closed and locked all open doors in the Forge, giving himself tge only passcode.  Meanwhile, Vallo began rebuilding the artifact the team had gathered.  With great care he completed it, prepping the team for their final assault.

Meggido was slightly stymied by not having the top level of clearance, but managed most of what he intended.  The party formed a plan to use Sardis' gateway to teleport closer to the main Forge Fire room as Meggido contacyed the Contruct which made Pseudo-Warforged we had seen months before in the forest.  The Construct agreed to send those empty vessels towards the Forge under orders to obey Meggido and the party and attack the undead and Beholders.

Now done with the Command Chair, Meggido rose and Sardis teleported the team down closer to the Forge Fire room.  The floor below, in the room above the actual Forge Fire, waited Beholders...

The party quickly dropped through and engaged them.  Meggido drew them all together.  A few minor blows were struck before Meggido was petrified and Adah-kah abjured the Beholder.  In response, it managed to lock down most of Adah-kah's skills.  It was enough, though, as Meggido, Sardis and Sabriel landed heavy blows to finish off the ghost.

In response, one of the Beholders tried to push Sabriel into the Forge Fire, but she rolled away, keeping from being burned.  This gave the team an idea and the slowly positioned their foe until Adah-kah could put him in range for Meggido to shove him into the fire.  He burned and the party dropped down another floor...