The moment we'd all been waiting for - the political clash!
Damnation Snels' totally-not-fascist religious police takeover versus Grumpy's totally-not-implausible imaginary demon conspiracy.
Unfortunately for Grumpy, and potentially the general populace, Snels' populist rhetoric won by a landslide.
In other news we're finally through the winter! The spring thaw brings the sharp tang of omnipoison back into the air, and the acid rain is back once again. What a lovely time of year. The party has set off to the edge of the Shell once more to hopefully take over the crashed Seraphim, getting slightly sidetracked to exorcise a banshee, and honestly could already use a bit of a break after they got lost in the rain.
Excitingly I can reveal that the Red is sending correspondence from her trip overland to find her family's heirloom sword! Published exclusively in the Red Letter, it seems that they've already passed by the ruined town of Salisburgh...
Salisburgh By Starlight Chastity Bellecheecks, Style Editor Well dear reader, looks like your favourite, long suffering, fashionista is on the road again. This time accompanied by the editorial away team, led by our formidable and fearless Editrix in Chief Lady Red Wooster. Well, this would not usually be enough to tempt this reporter into the wild back of beyond, but for the last minute addition of the seductive, sultry, saltwaterbae Adonis Barrett, and suddenly the idea of having to cuddle up for warmth in the depths of the night was a lot more appealing. Suffice to say, the journey has been far from five stars in terms of comfort, not to mention the acid rains and gas clouds have been hell on the complexion. The food, however, is simply divine (or should I say, demonic?) given the extensive range of forrage and the brilliant recipes found in "You Are What You Eat" by Japhet and Hirsch (available now for 19ob.99 at all reputable bookstores), which makes any meal in the wilds a feast for the senses. Our first point of interest was the ruined city of Salisburgh, known in the beforetimes for its tumultuous history, and bountiful salt mines. However, anyone hoping for a taste of the lifestyle of the past will have to lower their expectations. Salisburgh has fallen on hard times in the past couple of decades. Anyone hoping to holiday here these days had best bring a tent, as most buildings are relatively unprotected against the post-apocalyptic elements. Not that this reporter was daunted, and some searching can find you the occasional fitted bedroom left pristine and protected over years, although rather less pristine after Adonis was kind enough to show me around it (see my following article 69 sizzling sex tips for wilderness whoopie). It also seems that Salisburgh has been the site of some reverse gentrification, if the form of repeated raids by the strange people of Enoch. Known for their miraculous machines and distinctive fashion, it is my sartorial opinion that these dappper duds will soon be the height of style in Moondin when contact with Enoch is more established. So get your high boots ready, slap on a ten gallon hat, and throw on a dust coat, just remember you heard in here first when you step out in style next season. For those hoping to stay ahead of the curve, the ruins of Salisburgh are the ideal place to find the occasional piece of Enoch fashion left by raiders, maybe even a few of their fashionable firearms as well.
Session 233 - Rise of the Brotherhood
Unfortunately for Grumpy, and potentially the general populace, Snels' populist rhetoric won by a landslide.
In other news we're finally through the winter! The spring thaw brings the sharp tang of omnipoison back into the air, and the acid rain is back once again. What a lovely time of year. The party has set off to the edge of the Shell once more to hopefully take over the crashed Seraphim, getting slightly sidetracked to exorcise a banshee, and honestly could already use a bit of a break after they got lost in the rain.
Excitingly I can reveal that the Red is sending correspondence from her trip overland to find her family's heirloom sword! Published exclusively in the Red Letter, it seems that they've already passed by the ruined town of Salisburgh...
Salisburgh By Starlight Chastity Bellecheecks, Style Editor Well dear reader, looks like your favourite, long suffering, fashionista is on the road again. This time accompanied by the editorial away team, led by our formidable and fearless Editrix in Chief Lady Red Wooster. Well, this would not usually be enough to tempt this reporter into the wild back of beyond, but for the last minute addition of the seductive, sultry, saltwaterbae Adonis Barrett, and suddenly the idea of having to cuddle up for warmth in the depths of the night was a lot more appealing. Suffice to say, the journey has been far from five stars in terms of comfort, not to mention the acid rains and gas clouds have been hell on the complexion. The food, however, is simply divine (or should I say, demonic?) given the extensive range of forrage and the brilliant recipes found in "You Are What You Eat" by Japhet and Hirsch (available now for 19ob.99 at all reputable bookstores), which makes any meal in the wilds a feast for the senses. Our first point of interest was the ruined city of Salisburgh, known in the beforetimes for its tumultuous history, and bountiful salt mines. However, anyone hoping for a taste of the lifestyle of the past will have to lower their expectations. Salisburgh has fallen on hard times in the past couple of decades. Anyone hoping to holiday here these days had best bring a tent, as most buildings are relatively unprotected against the post-apocalyptic elements. Not that this reporter was daunted, and some searching can find you the occasional fitted bedroom left pristine and protected over years, although rather less pristine after Adonis was kind enough to show me around it (see my following article 69 sizzling sex tips for wilderness whoopie). It also seems that Salisburgh has been the site of some reverse gentrification, if the form of repeated raids by the strange people of Enoch. Known for their miraculous machines and distinctive fashion, it is my sartorial opinion that these dappper duds will soon be the height of style in Moondin when contact with Enoch is more established. So get your high boots ready, slap on a ten gallon hat, and throw on a dust coat, just remember you heard in here first when you step out in style next season. For those hoping to stay ahead of the curve, the ruins of Salisburgh are the ideal place to find the occasional piece of Enoch fashion left by raiders, maybe even a few of their fashionable firearms as well.
Session 233 - Rise of the Brotherhood
Date:
15 years after the End.
15 years after the End.
January-March
Characters:
Murders:
- A Banshee formed from many swirling ghosts (250 exp)
Events:
- A Banshee formed from many swirling ghosts (250 exp)
Events:
--- January Expedition Day 4: Let’s Go Home
- In Kink, the party finishes loading up the wagon with the last of the good clean grain and prepares to head back to New Moondin. There’s no room to sit inside, so the others will have to schlep it back to the Storm Shell on foot.
- In these short winter days they only make it as far as the edge of the Mourning Wood before they have to stop for the night due to inclement weather.
- In these short winter days they only make it as far as the edge of the Mourning Wood before they have to stop for the night due to inclement weather.
--- January Expedition Day 5: Full Speed Ahead!
- Thankfully the snow is lighter in the morning, which the Witchfound Captain takes as proof that they’ve GOTTA GO FAST! Despite his reckless driving, they reach New Moondin safely by the end of the day. Easy!
--- January Recovery: Political Rumblings
- There’s a strange tension in town. Posters decrying Grumpy and supporting Damnation Snels are posted up everywhere. It seems that Snels is drumming up propaganda support for the Denialist Brotherhood - his fringe religious protection racket turned de facto police force.
- Grumpy is apparently the only person in the party willing to oppose this clear fascist threat to New Moondin’s utopianistic way of life. It’s political minigame time! He buys an extremely fancy and well-tailored suit and prepares to fight for the soul of the town in a ferocious public debate.
- Grumpy goes to visit the Goblin Bank and meets up with his usual banking contact - Rocks the Hobgoblin. Rocks informs him that the Goblins are generally in support of anyone who can improve the security of the town, and Rocks himself will come to see the debate.
- Andromeda heads to the Hyperchurch temple - Blood, Sweat & Prayers - to scope out the Laddites’ political leanings. She meets with Strongboi, a buff twelve year old priest, and he tells her that their main concern is with the town’s safety after the recent attack.
- She reminds him that Snels was once a Laddite like them before abandoning his faith for the Snelsman creed, and the kid is incensed! Such betrayal! He goes off to tell the others while Andromeda knocks back a protein shake and lifts weights.
- DJ goes to the Saviourbone Miners’ representative in the Crafting District - Arnold Nonimous. He persuades him that getting on Snels’ good side will only be good for business, since taxation is coming. Arnold tells him that their main concern is a stable economy to sell Saviourbone in, and promises to be at the debate.
- The Witchfound Captain goes to the Enlightened Church, seeing as they’re the only people who follow the Nine any more. The Captain’s East Unorthodox beliefs don’t clash quite so badly, perhaps. Unfortunately the Church is holy ground and makes him feel quite uncomfortable in his living-impaired body.
- The priest inside - Ekezial - is talking to a god projected from an angel’s eye. The god is tall and built, with branching deer horns growing from his head, but signs off when he sees the Captain walk in. The priest isn’t particularly taken with the Captain’s fervent Snelsman-esque rhetoric, and tells him to leave in no uncertain terms. The Captain leaves, spitting venomous words, without discovering what the Enlightened are concerned about.
- Damnation Snels, for his part, has been deep in meditation predicting the questions that will be asked in the debate…
--- The Debate of the Century!
- It’s time! Political Minigame is go! In the amphitheatre in the middle of town, a stage has been set up by the allegedly neutral journalists at the Red Letter. In a nice suit at the first podium - Granite “Grumpy” Ironjaw stands ready.
- There is a great rumbling. The gates burst open, and an armoured car comes juddering slowly in, flanked by the rifle-armed Denialist Brotherhood! The armour-plated behemoth drives right up to the stage before the turret pops open to reveal Damnation Snels himself!
- A lower hatch pops open and an exhausted goblin gulps for fresh air before being shoved back in by one of the Brotherhood.
- The debate begins! Grumpy is immediately put on the back foot by the debate format - both are asked separate questions, and since Grumpy is largely required to answer first he has less chance to rebut his opponent. Are the Red Letter truly neutral in this? Nevertheless he sticks to the rules of the debate even as his opponent disregards them.
- Damnation Snels appeals chiefly to the town’s desire for stability, deftly pivoting to talking points on every question and countering Grumpy’s accusations with plausible explanations - it’s easy to counter accusations of protection racketeering when everyone witnessed your men protecting the town from an attack.
- Grumpy’s answers amount to rambling conspiracy theories about how not all demons are bad and only he knows how to tell if they’re good, spurious allegations the demons that everyone saw attack the town weren’t real, unverifiable tales of the nefarious deeds of the Denialist Brotherhood, and slanderous accusations of words allegedly stated by Snels in private transportation where only Grumpy could hear him.
- There are occasional calls of “booo stone penis!” during Grumpy’s speeches and “he’s right you know!” during Snels’. They come from different parts of the crowd, but suspiciously they all seem to come from wherever DJ is selling his special edition Snels-branded “chicken” buckets...
- Most damningly Grumpy offers no viable alternative to a police force beyond “just protect yourselves, you’ve done it before” and insults the brave Prepper souls who were wiped out in the End War.
- The party all but unanimously support Damnation Snels - the Witchfound Corporal incredibly partisan and DJ easily bribed to support Snels via promises of no taxation on chicken. Only Andromeda occasionally takes Grumpy’s side. It’s a rout.
- The dust settles with all but the Necromancers and the Spiderpriests in support of Grumpy. Even the demons, so hated by Snels, end up supporting him. Grumpy laments that they know they’ll get more sin under a tyrannical government.
- The final nail in the coffin occurs when Snels raises his arms and the crowd get fired up with righteous anger! They boo the Dwarf who would give up physical safety for some ephemeral concept of liberty. The Denialist Brotherhood are here to stay.
--- February: Political Aftermath
- The progressive taxation policy is brought into effect over the course of the next few weeks. Snelsians are completely exempt, with light taxation for most and more punitive taxes on the demons. Grumpy is exempted from taxation too, as if to say “no hard feelings”.
- Andromeda drowns her sorrows after Pearl leaves for pastures new - Kink first to look for Samuel, then probably Enoch. She’d explained that she couldn’t stay in New Moondin any longer. Her Envy-generating powers don’t work when people know the illusion trick and she was being pressured by the native demons to leave, plus there’s some sort of unplaceable violin-thrumming over the town.
- DJ joins Andromeda in carousing over February. It’s become very evident that travelling in winter sucks, and skipping the last of the season in the pub sounds like a grand old time!
- Also during February, most of the gang visit the Spider Temple to investigate this Sir Robyn aka Arachnachus business. The entrance is webbed up and guarded by pretty hench spider-priests who aren’t letting any humans (or rather, any non-spiders) into the temple.
- After some discussion about how Sir Robyn possessed the head priest, they call for Arachnachus himself! The enormous mustachioed arachnid head pokes out of the webbing, and essentially gets the party to go away by implying that this is a Red-related questline.
- The Witchfound Captain spends the month proselytising on street corners, trying to resurrect the East Unorthodox faith with its ninefold alignment grid. He manages to persuade a chinless young man, Hieronymous Gosh, to join him on his quest.
- Businesses mature. Grumpy’s umbrella corporation continues to make money despite the negative press from his failed counter-coup, Ferfect Chicken trundles on, and Snels’ cut of the Denialist Brotherhood’s earnings naturally goes from strength to strength!
--- March Pre-Expedition: Take Me to Church
- Spring arrives to a Chokestorm - a thick poisonous smog that makes it horrible to travel. The effects are alleviated a little within the shell, but the thick fog makes it easy to get lost.
- The idea of heading back to the crashed Seraphim and clearing it out somehow is floated. The angels within are valuable all on their own, and the structure itself could easily be repurposed as a town just outside the Shell.
- They decide to wait until Sunday so they can check out the Enlightened church after Mass and, hopefully, speak to whichever God (or “God”) is in orbit overhead this week. Damnation Snels and the Witchfound Captain head in with a posse from the Denialist Brotherhood.
- They wait until the congregation file out of the Church (which is really just a medium-sized dome in the town) and go in to see Ekeziel the priest again. Also present, projected from the angel’s eye, is a woman in a flowing robe flicking a coin. It’s the Lady!
- Ekeziel is displeased by their arrival, but the Witchfound Captain’s benediction before the Lady gets him an audience with her. After some back-and-forth, she says something that burns a code-phrase into his brain. If he speaks it inside the Seraphim, it should allow her to take control of the whole machine.
- The Captain, displeased by Ekeziel’s displeasure, tries to slap him. He misses, but the priest cries foul! Why is he paying the protection money if the Brotherhood won’t defend him? They eventually leave, glowering at the priest.
- Meanwhile Grumpy is grabbing necessary supplies from the party vault - chiefly arquebuses to counter angel armour. Beam weapons don’t work on them. DJ grabs some rations for the party, including some of the now-memeworthy Long Potato.
- There’s a strange tension in town. Posters decrying Grumpy and supporting Damnation Snels are posted up everywhere. It seems that Snels is drumming up propaganda support for the Denialist Brotherhood - his fringe religious protection racket turned de facto police force.
- Grumpy is apparently the only person in the party willing to oppose this clear fascist threat to New Moondin’s utopianistic way of life. It’s political minigame time! He buys an extremely fancy and well-tailored suit and prepares to fight for the soul of the town in a ferocious public debate.
- Grumpy goes to visit the Goblin Bank and meets up with his usual banking contact - Rocks the Hobgoblin. Rocks informs him that the Goblins are generally in support of anyone who can improve the security of the town, and Rocks himself will come to see the debate.
- Andromeda heads to the Hyperchurch temple - Blood, Sweat & Prayers - to scope out the Laddites’ political leanings. She meets with Strongboi, a buff twelve year old priest, and he tells her that their main concern is with the town’s safety after the recent attack.
- She reminds him that Snels was once a Laddite like them before abandoning his faith for the Snelsman creed, and the kid is incensed! Such betrayal! He goes off to tell the others while Andromeda knocks back a protein shake and lifts weights.
- DJ goes to the Saviourbone Miners’ representative in the Crafting District - Arnold Nonimous. He persuades him that getting on Snels’ good side will only be good for business, since taxation is coming. Arnold tells him that their main concern is a stable economy to sell Saviourbone in, and promises to be at the debate.
- The Witchfound Captain goes to the Enlightened Church, seeing as they’re the only people who follow the Nine any more. The Captain’s East Unorthodox beliefs don’t clash quite so badly, perhaps. Unfortunately the Church is holy ground and makes him feel quite uncomfortable in his living-impaired body.
- The priest inside - Ekezial - is talking to a god projected from an angel’s eye. The god is tall and built, with branching deer horns growing from his head, but signs off when he sees the Captain walk in. The priest isn’t particularly taken with the Captain’s fervent Snelsman-esque rhetoric, and tells him to leave in no uncertain terms. The Captain leaves, spitting venomous words, without discovering what the Enlightened are concerned about.
- Damnation Snels, for his part, has been deep in meditation predicting the questions that will be asked in the debate…
--- The Debate of the Century!
- It’s time! Political Minigame is go! In the amphitheatre in the middle of town, a stage has been set up by the allegedly neutral journalists at the Red Letter. In a nice suit at the first podium - Granite “Grumpy” Ironjaw stands ready.
- There is a great rumbling. The gates burst open, and an armoured car comes juddering slowly in, flanked by the rifle-armed Denialist Brotherhood! The armour-plated behemoth drives right up to the stage before the turret pops open to reveal Damnation Snels himself!
- A lower hatch pops open and an exhausted goblin gulps for fresh air before being shoved back in by one of the Brotherhood.
- The debate begins! Grumpy is immediately put on the back foot by the debate format - both are asked separate questions, and since Grumpy is largely required to answer first he has less chance to rebut his opponent. Are the Red Letter truly neutral in this? Nevertheless he sticks to the rules of the debate even as his opponent disregards them.
- Damnation Snels appeals chiefly to the town’s desire for stability, deftly pivoting to talking points on every question and countering Grumpy’s accusations with plausible explanations - it’s easy to counter accusations of protection racketeering when everyone witnessed your men protecting the town from an attack.
- Grumpy’s answers amount to rambling conspiracy theories about how not all demons are bad and only he knows how to tell if they’re good, spurious allegations the demons that everyone saw attack the town weren’t real, unverifiable tales of the nefarious deeds of the Denialist Brotherhood, and slanderous accusations of words allegedly stated by Snels in private transportation where only Grumpy could hear him.
- There are occasional calls of “booo stone penis!” during Grumpy’s speeches and “he’s right you know!” during Snels’. They come from different parts of the crowd, but suspiciously they all seem to come from wherever DJ is selling his special edition Snels-branded “chicken” buckets...
- Most damningly Grumpy offers no viable alternative to a police force beyond “just protect yourselves, you’ve done it before” and insults the brave Prepper souls who were wiped out in the End War.
- The party all but unanimously support Damnation Snels - the Witchfound Corporal incredibly partisan and DJ easily bribed to support Snels via promises of no taxation on chicken. Only Andromeda occasionally takes Grumpy’s side. It’s a rout.
- The dust settles with all but the Necromancers and the Spiderpriests in support of Grumpy. Even the demons, so hated by Snels, end up supporting him. Grumpy laments that they know they’ll get more sin under a tyrannical government.
- The final nail in the coffin occurs when Snels raises his arms and the crowd get fired up with righteous anger! They boo the Dwarf who would give up physical safety for some ephemeral concept of liberty. The Denialist Brotherhood are here to stay.
--- February: Political Aftermath
- The progressive taxation policy is brought into effect over the course of the next few weeks. Snelsians are completely exempt, with light taxation for most and more punitive taxes on the demons. Grumpy is exempted from taxation too, as if to say “no hard feelings”.
- Andromeda drowns her sorrows after Pearl leaves for pastures new - Kink first to look for Samuel, then probably Enoch. She’d explained that she couldn’t stay in New Moondin any longer. Her Envy-generating powers don’t work when people know the illusion trick and she was being pressured by the native demons to leave, plus there’s some sort of unplaceable violin-thrumming over the town.
- DJ joins Andromeda in carousing over February. It’s become very evident that travelling in winter sucks, and skipping the last of the season in the pub sounds like a grand old time!
- Also during February, most of the gang visit the Spider Temple to investigate this Sir Robyn aka Arachnachus business. The entrance is webbed up and guarded by pretty hench spider-priests who aren’t letting any humans (or rather, any non-spiders) into the temple.
- After some discussion about how Sir Robyn possessed the head priest, they call for Arachnachus himself! The enormous mustachioed arachnid head pokes out of the webbing, and essentially gets the party to go away by implying that this is a Red-related questline.
- The Witchfound Captain spends the month proselytising on street corners, trying to resurrect the East Unorthodox faith with its ninefold alignment grid. He manages to persuade a chinless young man, Hieronymous Gosh, to join him on his quest.
- Businesses mature. Grumpy’s umbrella corporation continues to make money despite the negative press from his failed counter-coup, Ferfect Chicken trundles on, and Snels’ cut of the Denialist Brotherhood’s earnings naturally goes from strength to strength!
--- March Pre-Expedition: Take Me to Church
- Spring arrives to a Chokestorm - a thick poisonous smog that makes it horrible to travel. The effects are alleviated a little within the shell, but the thick fog makes it easy to get lost.
- The idea of heading back to the crashed Seraphim and clearing it out somehow is floated. The angels within are valuable all on their own, and the structure itself could easily be repurposed as a town just outside the Shell.
- They decide to wait until Sunday so they can check out the Enlightened church after Mass and, hopefully, speak to whichever God (or “God”) is in orbit overhead this week. Damnation Snels and the Witchfound Captain head in with a posse from the Denialist Brotherhood.
- They wait until the congregation file out of the Church (which is really just a medium-sized dome in the town) and go in to see Ekeziel the priest again. Also present, projected from the angel’s eye, is a woman in a flowing robe flicking a coin. It’s the Lady!
- Ekeziel is displeased by their arrival, but the Witchfound Captain’s benediction before the Lady gets him an audience with her. After some back-and-forth, she says something that burns a code-phrase into his brain. If he speaks it inside the Seraphim, it should allow her to take control of the whole machine.
- The Captain, displeased by Ekeziel’s displeasure, tries to slap him. He misses, but the priest cries foul! Why is he paying the protection money if the Brotherhood won’t defend him? They eventually leave, glowering at the priest.
- Meanwhile Grumpy is grabbing necessary supplies from the party vault - chiefly arquebuses to counter angel armour. Beam weapons don’t work on them. DJ grabs some rations for the party, including some of the now-memeworthy Long Potato.
--- March Expedition Day 1: Back to Angeltown!
- They leave on the 8th. It’s a Monday, and the weather has settled into the classic poisonous Haze. It’s not great, but it’s fine travelling weather. Since Barrett’s somewhere with the cart and Zulu is somewhere else with her antelope, they travel on foot. It’s not that far anyway.
- It’s a relatively easy march along the road to the Saviourbone Mine. They pass by a Stoneshell Crab moult, which Grumpy takes for reasons. At the Mine they head west to the High Hill and find plentiful onion-like Popjack on the crest- it’s particularly easy to gather during a Haze.
- It’s easy to spot the crashed Seraphim from up there, so they tramp northeast down the hill, through the wide valley, and up to the edge of the Shell. Same technique as before - camp inside the Shell overnight, then head to the angel in the morning.
- Worryingly they can see lots of angel activity around the Seraphim from here. It’s like someone kicked an anthill, and all of the destroyed angels that once lay about the place have been taken. Looks like they might have fixed themselves up!
--- March Expedition Night 1: The Banshee!
- The sun sets, bringing with it a light smattering of rain under heavy grey clouds. The party sees a glow from the direction of the High Hill and a faint wailing of women. Seems interesting enough to check out!
- The rain starts tipping down, the equipment-ruining acidity is stopped by the Shell, but it still stings the skin. Grumpy leads the way through the rain and the dark of the new moon, approaching the flickering lights.
- The lights all coalesce around a central point, and when they get near there is a sudden terrifying wail! The scream casts a shadow over the party’s very souls - no healing allowed until you Save at dawn.
- “It’s a banshee!” cries Siân as the light approaches. It’s the ghosts of many floating through a central point, giving the impression of a single ghostly form whose face and body constantly change between multiple grieving women.
- The banshee lunges forward with a terrifying scream and a rising cry of “GET AWAY GET AWAY GET AWAY!”. The WItchfound Captain and his chinless charge Hieronymous Gosh are terrified, but the Captain stands his ground.
- Grumpy tries to go up to touch it and it claws black ribbons of smoky soul-stuff from his chest! He reels back and grabs his ghost-killing glaive while Andromeda lights her Lightning Hammer and smacks the ghost in the face! The hammer goes right through, but the lightning shocks the banshee!
- DJ’s silver ball-peen bong whiffs again, as is tradition. Siân and the Witchfound Captain both start casting Subjugate Dead, and the Captain’s goes off first! Despite his fear he croaks out the binding spells, and the ghosts merge into one single beautiful woman.
- She speaks in a multitude of voices, and says that for the price of a man’s soul she shall depart. The Witchfound Captain doesn’t hesitate - he shoots his acolyte in the head. The banshee splits back up into multiple spirits which descend upon the body and devour the soul!
- The Captain loots his dead minion’s body and everyone else decides it’s time to leave. Everyone, that is, except for Grumpy! Ever the hero, he wants to wipe this ghost out to make the place safe for other travellers.
- Andromeda begrudgingly stays and lobs a vial of Holy Water at the feasting whirl of ghosts. It smashes in their midst and with a final shriek they swirl into the ground!
- With the ghosts gone, the party investigates the area. All they find are the collapsed remains of a small village, apparently wiped out by Omnipoison after the Apocalypse. Andromeda leads the party in consecrating the area with more holy water. The banshee does not return.
--- The Long Return to Camp
- On the way back to the campsite the rain absolutely buckets down. Grumpy loses the trail and they find themselves tramping up an unfamiliar slope. There is a horrible stench and flies keep landing on people, swarming around the holes in their breather masks. A sort of horrible grey slurry is all over everything.
- It’s definitely the wrong way, so they head back downhill into the darkness. Thankfully the rain lets up enough for Grumpy to see their camp at the edge of the Storm Shell.
- After hours wandering around in the pouring rain they get back to camp as dawn begins to break and the rain begins to let up. The travellers track mud and soaked clothing into the tent and collapse into their bedrolls. The triumphant assault on the Seraphim will have to wait for everyone to recover from an absolutely horrible night.
Total: 2750 exp
Team Bonus:
- They leave on the 8th. It’s a Monday, and the weather has settled into the classic poisonous Haze. It’s not great, but it’s fine travelling weather. Since Barrett’s somewhere with the cart and Zulu is somewhere else with her antelope, they travel on foot. It’s not that far anyway.
- It’s a relatively easy march along the road to the Saviourbone Mine. They pass by a Stoneshell Crab moult, which Grumpy takes for reasons. At the Mine they head west to the High Hill and find plentiful onion-like Popjack on the crest- it’s particularly easy to gather during a Haze.
- It’s easy to spot the crashed Seraphim from up there, so they tramp northeast down the hill, through the wide valley, and up to the edge of the Shell. Same technique as before - camp inside the Shell overnight, then head to the angel in the morning.
- Worryingly they can see lots of angel activity around the Seraphim from here. It’s like someone kicked an anthill, and all of the destroyed angels that once lay about the place have been taken. Looks like they might have fixed themselves up!
--- March Expedition Night 1: The Banshee!
- The sun sets, bringing with it a light smattering of rain under heavy grey clouds. The party sees a glow from the direction of the High Hill and a faint wailing of women. Seems interesting enough to check out!
- The rain starts tipping down, the equipment-ruining acidity is stopped by the Shell, but it still stings the skin. Grumpy leads the way through the rain and the dark of the new moon, approaching the flickering lights.
- The lights all coalesce around a central point, and when they get near there is a sudden terrifying wail! The scream casts a shadow over the party’s very souls - no healing allowed until you Save at dawn.
- “It’s a banshee!” cries Siân as the light approaches. It’s the ghosts of many floating through a central point, giving the impression of a single ghostly form whose face and body constantly change between multiple grieving women.
- The banshee lunges forward with a terrifying scream and a rising cry of “GET AWAY GET AWAY GET AWAY!”. The WItchfound Captain and his chinless charge Hieronymous Gosh are terrified, but the Captain stands his ground.
- Grumpy tries to go up to touch it and it claws black ribbons of smoky soul-stuff from his chest! He reels back and grabs his ghost-killing glaive while Andromeda lights her Lightning Hammer and smacks the ghost in the face! The hammer goes right through, but the lightning shocks the banshee!
- DJ’s silver ball-peen bong whiffs again, as is tradition. Siân and the Witchfound Captain both start casting Subjugate Dead, and the Captain’s goes off first! Despite his fear he croaks out the binding spells, and the ghosts merge into one single beautiful woman.
- She speaks in a multitude of voices, and says that for the price of a man’s soul she shall depart. The Witchfound Captain doesn’t hesitate - he shoots his acolyte in the head. The banshee splits back up into multiple spirits which descend upon the body and devour the soul!
- The Captain loots his dead minion’s body and everyone else decides it’s time to leave. Everyone, that is, except for Grumpy! Ever the hero, he wants to wipe this ghost out to make the place safe for other travellers.
- Andromeda begrudgingly stays and lobs a vial of Holy Water at the feasting whirl of ghosts. It smashes in their midst and with a final shriek they swirl into the ground!
- With the ghosts gone, the party investigates the area. All they find are the collapsed remains of a small village, apparently wiped out by Omnipoison after the Apocalypse. Andromeda leads the party in consecrating the area with more holy water. The banshee does not return.
--- The Long Return to Camp
- On the way back to the campsite the rain absolutely buckets down. Grumpy loses the trail and they find themselves tramping up an unfamiliar slope. There is a horrible stench and flies keep landing on people, swarming around the holes in their breather masks. A sort of horrible grey slurry is all over everything.
- It’s definitely the wrong way, so they head back downhill into the darkness. Thankfully the rain lets up enough for Grumpy to see their camp at the edge of the Storm Shell.
- After hours wandering around in the pouring rain they get back to camp as dawn begins to break and the rain begins to let up. The travellers track mud and soaked clothing into the tent and collapse into their bedrolls. The triumphant assault on the Seraphim will have to wait for everyone to recover from an absolutely horrible night.
Total: 2750 exp
Team Bonus:
- Absolutely Disgusting bonus
- Aggressive Negotiations bonus
- Classic Charles bonus
- Fame bonus
- Henchman Abuse bonus
- I Immediately Regret This Decision bonus
- Infamy bonus
- Internecine Strife bonus
- Long Deliberation bonus
- Noblebright bonus
- Politico bonus
- Pundemonium bonus
- Ridiculously Bad Rolling bonus
- Split the Party (along political lines) bonus - SpoOoOoky bonusTotal: 750 exp
- Aggressive Negotiations bonus
- Classic Charles bonus
- Fame bonus
- Henchman Abuse bonus
- I Immediately Regret This Decision bonus
- Infamy bonus
- Internecine Strife bonus
- Long Deliberation bonus
- Noblebright bonus
- Politico bonus
- Pundemonium bonus
- Ridiculously Bad Rolling bonus
- Split the Party (along political lines) bonus - SpoOoOoky bonusTotal: 750 exp
Individual Bonus:
- Chronicler (Carter / Grumpy - 100 exp)
- Expedition Leader (Kitty / Andromeda - 100 exp)
- Cartographer (Carter / Grumpy - 100 exp)
- Paymaster (Charles / DJ - 100 exp)
- Quartermaster (Henry / Witchfound Captain - 100 exp)
- Vanguard (George / Snels - 100 exp)
- Triage (Kitty / Andromeda - 100 exp)
- Chef (Henry / Witchfound Captain - 100 exp)
- JÜGBRINGYR bonus (Henry, Charles, Kitty - 500 exp ea.)
- Crisp Croncher bonus (James*2 - 100 exp ea.)
- Art Attack bonus (Charles, George, Carter - 100 exp ea.)
- Attacco d’Arte bonus (George - 100 exp)
Exp Calc: - Kitty / Andromeda, Level 6 Laddite Cleric: 31710 (Level up at 56000) - Charles / Dustin Johnson, Level 5 Intergalacticist Cleric: 26760 (Level up at 28000) - George / Praise-God-For-He-Gave-His-Only-Son-So-That-We-Might-Be-Saved-From-Damnation Snels, Level 5 Snelsman Cleric: 23856 (Level up at 28000) - Carter / Granite "Grumpy" Ironjaw, Level 4 Grudgesmith Dwarf: 16667 (Level up at 17600) - James G / Siân, Level 4 Necromancer: 11283 (Level up at 18000) - Henry / Witchfound Captain, Level 3 Necromancer: 5109 (Level up at 9000) Level Up: +1d4 HP +1 Mana! +Free Spell! +Backstory!
