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Entry tags:
Dawn of Magic
Gamers present for tonight's GURPS action were Bonnie ("Leif"), Marc ("Mushamee"), Martin ("Kaeso"), and Mike ("Rufus"). Stéphane ("Vinz"), the lucky dog, is in Paris!
Time: Night, Odin 15, 1002 Imperial Reckoning.
Place: Assassin god's chamber, past the cavern beneath the headquarters of the "assassins' society," under the ruins of Kapital.
Last Event: The group successfully passed the ordeal of the unknowable god of assassins and moved to leave with a massive, solid-gold idol . . . before the god changed its mind.
The adventurers head up the stairs out of the god's chamber and into the cavern. On reaching the foot of the ladder to the assassins' maze, however, they discover that the exit is sealed -- no doubt through some action of the mysterious god. Kaeso, still under the influence of a levitation elixir, floats up to take a look. Rufus climbs up the hard way. Neither can see any evidence of the former opening, though, and Rufus' penetrating sight cannot reach through the thick stone.
Leif calls upon his grandfather's spirit and asks him to take a look. Granddad confirms that the group is still in Kapital, under the maze. They haven't been teleported, shifted to another realm, or anything of the sort. However, there's no passage up -- just 10 feet of stone.
After a brief discussion, which includes talk of the possibility of Vinz exhausting himself to reopen the ceiling with magic, the team decides to search for other exits. There were none earlier -- but then the ladder led somewhere, too. Sure enough, Rufus sees a large door at the end of the cavern farthest from the god's chamber. The party heads that way, Leif still lugging the idol.
The door appears to be hewn of stone, in the style of Ancient Imperial tomb seals, and Rufus senses a faint aura of recent earth magic surrounding it. Granddad tries to pass through it, but the barrier is warded against spirits. Rufus' sight cannot penetrate it, either; it appears to be shielded against such tricks. When Rufus tries to receive impressions from the door, he experiences a vision of the assassin god, who speaks: "Now that I've made you wealthy, you owe me a favor! Eliminate my rivals beyond this portal."
Rufus consults the memories of his ancestors for further information. These were, after all, one of the sources of the legends of the secret assassins' brotherhood. He learns that these killers were once opposed by an alliance of gladiators-turned-bodyguards often employed to thwart assassinations. Ironically, both groups had Imperial sanction. These gladiators were reputed to be trained to superhuman levels by forgotten techniques of the previous Age.
The heroes weigh their options. They know that gods can't intervene in the world, so this is probably a matter of them being pitted against the servants of the gladiators' god. While nobody has any specifics on either god, the task asked of the group appears to be a straightforward one: Battle a challenging foe. Confident in their skill at fighting, the team decides to forge ahead.
Vinz, wearing the assassin god's cloak, commands the door to open. It does, exposing a rough-hewn stone passage that emanates residual earth magic. Kaeso hastily fashions a makeshift sled for the statue from various odds and ends, and then the group pushes forward. Vinz takes the lead, followed by Mushamee, Kaeso, Leif (pulling the sled), and finally Rufus. As they walk, Rufus notices the passage vanishing behind them . . .
Eventually, Vinz announces another door ahead, much like the first. It, too, opens on his command. The party steps out and the rough tunnel seals behind them. They find themselves in a long corridor, the architecture of which Kaeso says is that of such traditional Imperial structures as courts and libraries. It's quite wide and goes off a long way in either direction. Rufus senses nothing supernatural -- only weak impressions associated with combat. The statue was set down pointing up the passage to the left, so the group takes that as a sign to head in that direction, shields and weapons at the ready.
The group soon passes a perfectly ordinary raised portcullis, which doesn't appear to be a trap, and after a time notices the passage veering gently upward and to the right. They soon come upon great wooden doors, lit by torchlight. Guarding these is a pair of muscular men dressed in leopard skin. Rufus senses that they have the auras of creations -- like golems -- rather than men.
The guards seem friendly, and soon prove to have more personality and will than golems. They identify themselves as "Killer of Bull with One Punch" and "Wrestler of Tiger" -- "Bull" and "Tiger" for short -- and claim to be creations and servants of "The Maker." They explain that the adventurers are to be today's entertainment in the arena. Rufus' piercing vision indeed reveals an arena beyond the great doors.
Tiger and Bull are happy to talk with the group, claim to be sent as coaches, and offer raw beef to eat and a pot of fat to use as body lotion. They explain that the party will be fighting The Maker's creations. They're quite sanguine about this and their own situation. Close to an hour of conversation reveals little of use other than three "rules":
1. No rules apply in the fight other than "no blowing yourself up." (Which, Bull explains, is unpopular with the audience, as it often leaves no clear victor.)
2. Winning gives the victor two options: Leave with the current prize or take the next challenge for a greater prize.
3. No escaping or running away allowed.
Asking about the audience turns up nothing helpful. Apparently, The Maker has friends who bet on the fights. That's as much as Tiger and Bull know.
Soon a horn blows to summon the heroes to the arena. The bruised and sore drink healing potions to get in fighting form. Kaeso takes some additional elixirs for agility, reflexes, strength, and toughness. Then the group lugs the statue into the arena and takes up positions around it.
Examining the arena, it appears to be about 50 feet across, roughly circular, with a stone floor. The audience is hidden behind strangely reflective windows on high. Within seconds, a great voice -- presumably The Maker's -- announces the commencement of the games.
From the far entrance, a huge spider emerges -- many times man-sized, with dripping mandibles. There's no pause or ceremony . . . the creature lunges at great speed, and battle is joined. The monster proves to be able to jump many times its own length, evading blows and ultimately grabbing Kaeso (who's still levitating) from the air. Upon landing with its prey, the spider is promptly beheaded by simultaneous blows from Leif, Mushamee, and Vinz. Kaeso steps free, his body ravaged by the vicious acid injected by the great beast's bite.
With the monster's death, the voice booms out again: "Your prize is your freedom. Do you wish to leave or accept the next challenge?"
Mushamee speaks, but it's the assassin god's voice that answers, "My servants will take your next challenge. This is to your death or theirs!"
In the meantime, Bull, Tiger, and several other bulky fellows enter the arena and drag away the spider's corpse. Tiger mumbles something about spider tasting bad. Leif takes advantage of the surreal intermission to ask the spirits to heal Kaeso, who is now looking faint.
Then the voice booms out once more, announcing a new challenge, and the far gate opens again. The new threat proves to be a huge worm or serpent, close to 30 feet long. It slithers around the edges of the arena as the group turns to stay in formation and keep it in sight. It doesn't strike however -- it simply waits.
Eventually, the heroes take the initiative and charge . . . only the learn that the monster has a mesmerizing aura. In the short, intense fight that follows, Mushamee and Rufus have their shield arms injured through their mighty shields and heavy armor, a result of blocking the thing's bites. Leif and Vinz are stunned by the creature's aura and promptly bitten, receiving terrible wounds. And Kaeso manages to shoot Rufus in the back with his gun, quite by accident. The group ultimately manages to land dozens of solid hits, however -- including an impressive chi strike by Vinz -- and cut the thing to bits.
Again, Bull, Tiger, and friends enter to clear the arena. Seeing the party's badly wounded state, Tiger informs the heroes that they can forfeit their prize to claim healing if they intend to take the next challenge. The general consensus among the group is that they'd just as soon take the current prize and leave before anyone dies. But when The Maker asks for a decision, the assassin god's voice again speaks: "We will take your healing and fight to the death, need be!"
The Maker accepts and promises to send healing forthwith, followed by a "more challenging foe." Soon a beautiful specter drifts into the arena bearing a tray of six exquisite crystal cruets. She mentions that while the heroes are five, the reward is six essences of healing, including ". . .one for the Dead One, who is supposed to be here but isn't." Consensus among the heroes is that Recnam is the missing person in question. Rufus examines the containers and confirms that they hold not just a healing potion, but the divine healing essence!
Leif, Rufus, and Vinz use five of these essences to restore themselves to fighting form. This leaves only one for the next stage. Kaeso takes charge of this precious commodity on the theory that if he's levitating with it, it's less likely to end up shattered. He also hands out more mundane elixirs of healing to his allies. Then the group turns to face the next challenge.
To be continued . . .
Time: Night, Odin 15, 1002 Imperial Reckoning.
Place: Assassin god's chamber, past the cavern beneath the headquarters of the "assassins' society," under the ruins of Kapital.
Last Event: The group successfully passed the ordeal of the unknowable god of assassins and moved to leave with a massive, solid-gold idol . . . before the god changed its mind.
The adventurers head up the stairs out of the god's chamber and into the cavern. On reaching the foot of the ladder to the assassins' maze, however, they discover that the exit is sealed -- no doubt through some action of the mysterious god. Kaeso, still under the influence of a levitation elixir, floats up to take a look. Rufus climbs up the hard way. Neither can see any evidence of the former opening, though, and Rufus' penetrating sight cannot reach through the thick stone.
Leif calls upon his grandfather's spirit and asks him to take a look. Granddad confirms that the group is still in Kapital, under the maze. They haven't been teleported, shifted to another realm, or anything of the sort. However, there's no passage up -- just 10 feet of stone.
After a brief discussion, which includes talk of the possibility of Vinz exhausting himself to reopen the ceiling with magic, the team decides to search for other exits. There were none earlier -- but then the ladder led somewhere, too. Sure enough, Rufus sees a large door at the end of the cavern farthest from the god's chamber. The party heads that way, Leif still lugging the idol.
The door appears to be hewn of stone, in the style of Ancient Imperial tomb seals, and Rufus senses a faint aura of recent earth magic surrounding it. Granddad tries to pass through it, but the barrier is warded against spirits. Rufus' sight cannot penetrate it, either; it appears to be shielded against such tricks. When Rufus tries to receive impressions from the door, he experiences a vision of the assassin god, who speaks: "Now that I've made you wealthy, you owe me a favor! Eliminate my rivals beyond this portal."
Rufus consults the memories of his ancestors for further information. These were, after all, one of the sources of the legends of the secret assassins' brotherhood. He learns that these killers were once opposed by an alliance of gladiators-turned-bodyguards often employed to thwart assassinations. Ironically, both groups had Imperial sanction. These gladiators were reputed to be trained to superhuman levels by forgotten techniques of the previous Age.
The heroes weigh their options. They know that gods can't intervene in the world, so this is probably a matter of them being pitted against the servants of the gladiators' god. While nobody has any specifics on either god, the task asked of the group appears to be a straightforward one: Battle a challenging foe. Confident in their skill at fighting, the team decides to forge ahead.
Vinz, wearing the assassin god's cloak, commands the door to open. It does, exposing a rough-hewn stone passage that emanates residual earth magic. Kaeso hastily fashions a makeshift sled for the statue from various odds and ends, and then the group pushes forward. Vinz takes the lead, followed by Mushamee, Kaeso, Leif (pulling the sled), and finally Rufus. As they walk, Rufus notices the passage vanishing behind them . . .
Eventually, Vinz announces another door ahead, much like the first. It, too, opens on his command. The party steps out and the rough tunnel seals behind them. They find themselves in a long corridor, the architecture of which Kaeso says is that of such traditional Imperial structures as courts and libraries. It's quite wide and goes off a long way in either direction. Rufus senses nothing supernatural -- only weak impressions associated with combat. The statue was set down pointing up the passage to the left, so the group takes that as a sign to head in that direction, shields and weapons at the ready.
The group soon passes a perfectly ordinary raised portcullis, which doesn't appear to be a trap, and after a time notices the passage veering gently upward and to the right. They soon come upon great wooden doors, lit by torchlight. Guarding these is a pair of muscular men dressed in leopard skin. Rufus senses that they have the auras of creations -- like golems -- rather than men.
The guards seem friendly, and soon prove to have more personality and will than golems. They identify themselves as "Killer of Bull with One Punch" and "Wrestler of Tiger" -- "Bull" and "Tiger" for short -- and claim to be creations and servants of "The Maker." They explain that the adventurers are to be today's entertainment in the arena. Rufus' piercing vision indeed reveals an arena beyond the great doors.
Tiger and Bull are happy to talk with the group, claim to be sent as coaches, and offer raw beef to eat and a pot of fat to use as body lotion. They explain that the party will be fighting The Maker's creations. They're quite sanguine about this and their own situation. Close to an hour of conversation reveals little of use other than three "rules":
1. No rules apply in the fight other than "no blowing yourself up." (Which, Bull explains, is unpopular with the audience, as it often leaves no clear victor.)
2. Winning gives the victor two options: Leave with the current prize or take the next challenge for a greater prize.
3. No escaping or running away allowed.
Asking about the audience turns up nothing helpful. Apparently, The Maker has friends who bet on the fights. That's as much as Tiger and Bull know.
Soon a horn blows to summon the heroes to the arena. The bruised and sore drink healing potions to get in fighting form. Kaeso takes some additional elixirs for agility, reflexes, strength, and toughness. Then the group lugs the statue into the arena and takes up positions around it.
Examining the arena, it appears to be about 50 feet across, roughly circular, with a stone floor. The audience is hidden behind strangely reflective windows on high. Within seconds, a great voice -- presumably The Maker's -- announces the commencement of the games.
From the far entrance, a huge spider emerges -- many times man-sized, with dripping mandibles. There's no pause or ceremony . . . the creature lunges at great speed, and battle is joined. The monster proves to be able to jump many times its own length, evading blows and ultimately grabbing Kaeso (who's still levitating) from the air. Upon landing with its prey, the spider is promptly beheaded by simultaneous blows from Leif, Mushamee, and Vinz. Kaeso steps free, his body ravaged by the vicious acid injected by the great beast's bite.
With the monster's death, the voice booms out again: "Your prize is your freedom. Do you wish to leave or accept the next challenge?"
Mushamee speaks, but it's the assassin god's voice that answers, "My servants will take your next challenge. This is to your death or theirs!"
In the meantime, Bull, Tiger, and several other bulky fellows enter the arena and drag away the spider's corpse. Tiger mumbles something about spider tasting bad. Leif takes advantage of the surreal intermission to ask the spirits to heal Kaeso, who is now looking faint.
Then the voice booms out once more, announcing a new challenge, and the far gate opens again. The new threat proves to be a huge worm or serpent, close to 30 feet long. It slithers around the edges of the arena as the group turns to stay in formation and keep it in sight. It doesn't strike however -- it simply waits.
Eventually, the heroes take the initiative and charge . . . only the learn that the monster has a mesmerizing aura. In the short, intense fight that follows, Mushamee and Rufus have their shield arms injured through their mighty shields and heavy armor, a result of blocking the thing's bites. Leif and Vinz are stunned by the creature's aura and promptly bitten, receiving terrible wounds. And Kaeso manages to shoot Rufus in the back with his gun, quite by accident. The group ultimately manages to land dozens of solid hits, however -- including an impressive chi strike by Vinz -- and cut the thing to bits.
Again, Bull, Tiger, and friends enter to clear the arena. Seeing the party's badly wounded state, Tiger informs the heroes that they can forfeit their prize to claim healing if they intend to take the next challenge. The general consensus among the group is that they'd just as soon take the current prize and leave before anyone dies. But when The Maker asks for a decision, the assassin god's voice again speaks: "We will take your healing and fight to the death, need be!"
The Maker accepts and promises to send healing forthwith, followed by a "more challenging foe." Soon a beautiful specter drifts into the arena bearing a tray of six exquisite crystal cruets. She mentions that while the heroes are five, the reward is six essences of healing, including ". . .one for the Dead One, who is supposed to be here but isn't." Consensus among the heroes is that Recnam is the missing person in question. Rufus examines the containers and confirms that they hold not just a healing potion, but the divine healing essence!
Leif, Rufus, and Vinz use five of these essences to restore themselves to fighting form. This leaves only one for the next stage. Kaeso takes charge of this precious commodity on the theory that if he's levitating with it, it's less likely to end up shattered. He also hands out more mundane elixirs of healing to his allies. Then the group turns to face the next challenge.
To be continued . . .