Lazarus
04-25-2008, 10:35 PM
Preface: the history of the game.
The idea of Pawns Of Fate began years ago (between 2000 and 2003?) it was set as a prequal to another game. One session was run with 2 players wrecking a Goblin outpost, one of those players later died and the game went into limbo. I thought to revive it for years but my playerbase often put me off, players with attention deficit are daunting for a rusty dm. On the 15th of December 2006 Aexicas sparked the idea of a Stormlords pen&paper game, I started considering Pawns as an online game. On the 19th of January 2007 I revived the topic with the Housetharashk forum with a suggestion I might run a game, the response was enthusiastic and I started gathering the player-characters and equipment nessessary to make it happen. On the 1st of February 2007 the game began, some players have since changed but as I write this the game has been running for over a year, over two thousand posts, and is well into it's 7th chapter. Players may change again in time and lurkurs may want to follow recent events without reading through the entire history, also I myself am beginning to lose track of early plot points, so here is the history of the Pawns of Fate:
Chapter 0: Before the team.
Irrule had been through many changes since he migrated to Nidian, but he still retained his instincts, his sharp intellect, and his eye for profit. He'd used his skills to fill a need for heroes and established an organisation for such purpose much like a privatised adventurers guild. Working from the safety of Celeste he guided a variety of teams, varying from hotblood mercenaries to adventurers with abilities rivaling his own. Also he had developed a large network of contacts, allies, and seers.
News started to trickle down from the north deep within the Wild Territories of villages being wiped out, not unusual in such a dangerous land but worth noting. When some of his patrons started offering considerable money to deal with the situation Irrule took a more active interest. Magical investigation yeilded poor results and what little news came his way lacked sense so he sent one of his better teams out, they never returned. He sent another team with orders to scout and return, not to take any risks, but they too disapeared.
Loath to lose more people he consulted with his personal seers and recieved the warning that none of his teams, not even the best would survive the troubles to the north. He made his seers dig deeper if all his people would fail than who could succeed. His seers took many days to study signs before reporting back that the trouble to the north was a special turning point in the fate of the world, and only a hero who stood at the edge of fate, a 'coin turned sideways' so to speak could possibly succeed. Rather than look for a single such hero he commanded his seers to find him an entire team. "I don't care what it takes find them!" Initially his seers found it difficult and 2 young spellcasters, a Sorceror and a Wizard were all he found. The duo were sent out along with his sherpers son Ten'sing to a village on the border between Muraveck and Vynen to investigate a Goblin problem. They did more than investigate they wiped out over 20 Goblins who had occupied an old tunnel fort near the village. Unfortunately one of them decided to retire back to Celeste, and while Ten'sing escorted her back he lost contact with the Wizard. Knowing Ten'sings abilities it was clear the Wizard was dead, also Irrule saw the first case of what was deemed 'Fatelost' as the Sorcerer lost all the ambition she once felt. The seers informed Irrule that by gathering these heroes together he was giving them a cohesive destiny and those that chose to than reject this destiny would likely lose their potential and become 'Fatelost' like the Sorceror.
Over the next few weeks the seers gathered more candidates, this time a full team, and a message returned from the village that more Goblins had occupied the fort. This is where our story begins.
Chapter 1: A gathering of fates.
Irrule called in favours and sent out members of one of his elite teams to bring together a new team.
The Grey Elf Wizard Lanahj made his way South under orders to find a young Elf in Bokall the capital of Rimana, he finds him exactly where described and whisks him back to Celeste on a 4 day carpet ride. Thus joins Sunduri an Elven Rogue/Wizard played by Tiblorian.
In northern Vynen Prince Dosepp recieves a message that Irrule wishes to call in a favour, requesting one of his Elven scouts by name. Eager to have his dept settled Dosepp calls the Ranger Anduril in from the field and has him teleported directly to the Wayfarers Guild outside Celeste.
Thus joins Anduril an Elven Ranger played by Anduril.
The Human Druid Doog magically travels through the trees to the Wood of Screams in southern Vynen, recruits the Dwarven Druid he finds and brings him back to Celeste.
This joins Boneclaw Bainbridge a Dwarven Druid played by Nogard.
Makuth the Troll Fighter was given the easy task of fetching a Halfling staying with a citizen across town, eventually he finds the right place and guides her back to Irrules.
Thus joins Anju Allerian Halfling Fighter/Barbarian played by Aexicas.
These 4 are gathered in Irrules office and he sends them off to deal with the new Goblin threat. The team teleports from Celestes Wayfarers Guild via the Guild in Hessma to the tower of a Gnomish experimenter 16 miles from Redal (the village with the Goblin problem). They continue on to Redal and settle in, the next morning a message from base tells them to prepare for the arrival of a 5th member. Lanahj the same mage that guided Sunduri arrives via teleport with their new companion beside him, than leaves out the window on his carpet.
Thus joins Thorleif the Human Paladin played by Thorleif.
Chapter 2: A test of battle.
After introductions the party set out along the path through the nearby woods. Anduril moved out ahead scouting for any dangers, and as they neared a turn in the road he moved back to warn them of three Goblins moving towards them. By the time the trio of Goblins rounded the corner the team were waiting and well prepared, the Goblins had heard them but expected peasants, and likewise the 5 heroes didn't expect the fight ahead of them.
Thorleif moves up to strike the first blow but his opponent dodges with surprising agility. In the thick of melee the Goblins begin vanishing, and to make matters worse one of the Goblins holds back and attempts to read from a Fireball Scroll. Anju manages to make a daring leap over the 2 invisible meleeing Goblins and attacks the scroll user, but the scroll is cast leaving Anduril and Boneclaw singed but standing. The scrolluser flees invisibly down the path so Anju turns and in a howling rage finishes off one of the other two. The 3rd Goblin beats Anju to near death, berserk over the loss of what was apparently his brother. Frantically the heroes work together to take down the howling Goblin than Anduril rounds the corner to shoot down the scroll user who's running in the distance.
Burnt and bloody the party retreats back to the village for healing unaware that this is but the first round in what will become a periodic struggle with Goblin Ninjas.
Back at the village the local Cleric aids them with healing and a Speak With Dead spell. They learn that the leader in the fort is a Goblin Cleric called Optio Lysha, and that the guards are Goblins and Worgs.
The idea of Pawns Of Fate began years ago (between 2000 and 2003?) it was set as a prequal to another game. One session was run with 2 players wrecking a Goblin outpost, one of those players later died and the game went into limbo. I thought to revive it for years but my playerbase often put me off, players with attention deficit are daunting for a rusty dm. On the 15th of December 2006 Aexicas sparked the idea of a Stormlords pen&paper game, I started considering Pawns as an online game. On the 19th of January 2007 I revived the topic with the Housetharashk forum with a suggestion I might run a game, the response was enthusiastic and I started gathering the player-characters and equipment nessessary to make it happen. On the 1st of February 2007 the game began, some players have since changed but as I write this the game has been running for over a year, over two thousand posts, and is well into it's 7th chapter. Players may change again in time and lurkurs may want to follow recent events without reading through the entire history, also I myself am beginning to lose track of early plot points, so here is the history of the Pawns of Fate:
Chapter 0: Before the team.
Irrule had been through many changes since he migrated to Nidian, but he still retained his instincts, his sharp intellect, and his eye for profit. He'd used his skills to fill a need for heroes and established an organisation for such purpose much like a privatised adventurers guild. Working from the safety of Celeste he guided a variety of teams, varying from hotblood mercenaries to adventurers with abilities rivaling his own. Also he had developed a large network of contacts, allies, and seers.
News started to trickle down from the north deep within the Wild Territories of villages being wiped out, not unusual in such a dangerous land but worth noting. When some of his patrons started offering considerable money to deal with the situation Irrule took a more active interest. Magical investigation yeilded poor results and what little news came his way lacked sense so he sent one of his better teams out, they never returned. He sent another team with orders to scout and return, not to take any risks, but they too disapeared.
Loath to lose more people he consulted with his personal seers and recieved the warning that none of his teams, not even the best would survive the troubles to the north. He made his seers dig deeper if all his people would fail than who could succeed. His seers took many days to study signs before reporting back that the trouble to the north was a special turning point in the fate of the world, and only a hero who stood at the edge of fate, a 'coin turned sideways' so to speak could possibly succeed. Rather than look for a single such hero he commanded his seers to find him an entire team. "I don't care what it takes find them!" Initially his seers found it difficult and 2 young spellcasters, a Sorceror and a Wizard were all he found. The duo were sent out along with his sherpers son Ten'sing to a village on the border between Muraveck and Vynen to investigate a Goblin problem. They did more than investigate they wiped out over 20 Goblins who had occupied an old tunnel fort near the village. Unfortunately one of them decided to retire back to Celeste, and while Ten'sing escorted her back he lost contact with the Wizard. Knowing Ten'sings abilities it was clear the Wizard was dead, also Irrule saw the first case of what was deemed 'Fatelost' as the Sorcerer lost all the ambition she once felt. The seers informed Irrule that by gathering these heroes together he was giving them a cohesive destiny and those that chose to than reject this destiny would likely lose their potential and become 'Fatelost' like the Sorceror.
Over the next few weeks the seers gathered more candidates, this time a full team, and a message returned from the village that more Goblins had occupied the fort. This is where our story begins.
Chapter 1: A gathering of fates.
Irrule called in favours and sent out members of one of his elite teams to bring together a new team.
The Grey Elf Wizard Lanahj made his way South under orders to find a young Elf in Bokall the capital of Rimana, he finds him exactly where described and whisks him back to Celeste on a 4 day carpet ride. Thus joins Sunduri an Elven Rogue/Wizard played by Tiblorian.
In northern Vynen Prince Dosepp recieves a message that Irrule wishes to call in a favour, requesting one of his Elven scouts by name. Eager to have his dept settled Dosepp calls the Ranger Anduril in from the field and has him teleported directly to the Wayfarers Guild outside Celeste.
Thus joins Anduril an Elven Ranger played by Anduril.
The Human Druid Doog magically travels through the trees to the Wood of Screams in southern Vynen, recruits the Dwarven Druid he finds and brings him back to Celeste.
This joins Boneclaw Bainbridge a Dwarven Druid played by Nogard.
Makuth the Troll Fighter was given the easy task of fetching a Halfling staying with a citizen across town, eventually he finds the right place and guides her back to Irrules.
Thus joins Anju Allerian Halfling Fighter/Barbarian played by Aexicas.
These 4 are gathered in Irrules office and he sends them off to deal with the new Goblin threat. The team teleports from Celestes Wayfarers Guild via the Guild in Hessma to the tower of a Gnomish experimenter 16 miles from Redal (the village with the Goblin problem). They continue on to Redal and settle in, the next morning a message from base tells them to prepare for the arrival of a 5th member. Lanahj the same mage that guided Sunduri arrives via teleport with their new companion beside him, than leaves out the window on his carpet.
Thus joins Thorleif the Human Paladin played by Thorleif.
Chapter 2: A test of battle.
After introductions the party set out along the path through the nearby woods. Anduril moved out ahead scouting for any dangers, and as they neared a turn in the road he moved back to warn them of three Goblins moving towards them. By the time the trio of Goblins rounded the corner the team were waiting and well prepared, the Goblins had heard them but expected peasants, and likewise the 5 heroes didn't expect the fight ahead of them.
Thorleif moves up to strike the first blow but his opponent dodges with surprising agility. In the thick of melee the Goblins begin vanishing, and to make matters worse one of the Goblins holds back and attempts to read from a Fireball Scroll. Anju manages to make a daring leap over the 2 invisible meleeing Goblins and attacks the scroll user, but the scroll is cast leaving Anduril and Boneclaw singed but standing. The scrolluser flees invisibly down the path so Anju turns and in a howling rage finishes off one of the other two. The 3rd Goblin beats Anju to near death, berserk over the loss of what was apparently his brother. Frantically the heroes work together to take down the howling Goblin than Anduril rounds the corner to shoot down the scroll user who's running in the distance.
Burnt and bloody the party retreats back to the village for healing unaware that this is but the first round in what will become a periodic struggle with Goblin Ninjas.
Back at the village the local Cleric aids them with healing and a Speak With Dead spell. They learn that the leader in the fort is a Goblin Cleric called Optio Lysha, and that the guards are Goblins and Worgs.