Alternate Realities Contest: Entries & Voting Here!
- WearsHats
- Global Moderator
- Posts: 7384
- UStream Username: WearsHats
- Location: Third star to the left, and straight on until midafternoon.
Alternate Realities Contest: Entries & Voting Here!
Entries will be posted below. Please read/view each one, then vote for your two favorites. Voting is open for the next 48 hours, until 1am US Eastern time Thursday morning (or late Wednesday night, depending on how you look at it).
There is one additional entry which was written but unable to be submitted due to technical difficulties. If I get it in the next few hours I'll add it in. Guess not.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the contest!
There is one additional entry which was written but unable to be submitted due to technical difficulties. If I get it in the next few hours I'll add it in. Guess not.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the contest!
Mostly offline/inactive due to chronic health issues. PM me if you really need attention.
"(Asks), why do you want to shoot all of my favorite animals out of guns?" - JibJib
Some potentially informative links, should you be interested:
"(Asks), why do you want to shoot all of my favorite animals out of guns?" - JibJib
Some potentially informative links, should you be interested:
► Show Spoiler
- WearsHats
- Global Moderator
- Posts: 7384
- UStream Username: WearsHats
- Location: Third star to the left, and straight on until midafternoon.
Entry 1
ENTRY 1:
The wagon trundled down Cloudypine Mountain, its cargo shifting and jarring from side to side as the wheels seemed to hit every rut and hole in the overgrown trail. Even the violent shaking was a welcome change from the decades of loneliness and isolation he had experienced. Anything was better than that.
Zej had originally come to the mountain with a large group of others, seeking knowledge and understanding. Unfortunately, what they found instead was the orcs. They were so quiet, passionless. None of the travelers could have predicted what was coming next. After spending the day foraging for food, the group settled in for the night. Suddenly the peace of the darkness was rended by the clashing of weapons. The orcs fell on them savagely, their weapons flashing. They tried to reason with their attackers, but the orcs could not or would not understand them. They tried to hide, and defend themselves, but then tragedy fell. One of the youngest of the group panicked. Try as he might Zej could not remember his name. It had been so many years. But he remembered the look on his face as he lashed out, striking the lead orc in the leg, severing it just below the knee. Blood flew in a streaming arc. The youngster screamed, then lay still. Soon blood was flying everywhere as the orcs slashed and hacked with reckless abandon, as if they did not care what happened to themselves. More blood flew, until at last, only Zej remained. He trembled, fearing what was coming next. He knew that this was the end. But rather than the sudden death he was expecting, he found himself held fast by two burly orcs, their bloody hands held close to his face. Slowly they carried him to face a wizened old orc, who was standing proudly at the edge of the forest clearing. With one motion of his hands he instructed the two orcs holding him to dump him unceremoniously in a small cage. The elderly creature looked him over, then began to mumble incoherently. He tried to get out of the bars, but as the words poured from the old orcÔÇÖs mouth, Zej felt himself stiffen, unable to move or even shift slightly. The orc then turned and walked away, leaving him still and helpless on the ground. The next day found him sitting in the center of the orc village, put out on display as a cautionary tale to all of his kind, that this could happen to you if you return. He saw some of his people occasionally, but they remained in the edges of the woods, never venturing close to the village, the spectacle of his frozen and trapped form more than warning enough. The spell was a blessing as well as a curse. He didnÔÇÖt feel pain or hunger, and he didnÔÇÖt age. He was timeless, unable to do anything but think. And think he did. Regret for the many wrongs he had done, the mistakes he had made. And the dreams yet unfulfilled. He began to think that he would remain forever in this horrible, endless nightmare.
Then one night another battle broke out, one more heated and violent than any he had seen. The orcs fought valiantly, but the sheer number of warriors massed against them was too great, and as the last of the orcs fell, Zej felt a flutter in his mind of something that had escaped him long before, - hope. Surely the newcomers would free him. The feeling was fleeting however, as the attackers began to pillage the remains of the orc camp. One warrior stopped and looked at him, his dark skin in blazing contrast to his long flowing white hair. But rather than freeing him from his prison, he sneered, and with a mighty heave, shoved him over. For a brief moment Zej thought his prison might break, and he would be free, but he simply fell over into the bushes, and lay there silently. He watched from his new vantage point on the ground as the dark warriors finished looting the camp, and left, leaving Zev behind with nothing but the still corpses of his captors.
Time passed, and Zev watched as the bodies of the orcs decayed slowly to dust, followed soon after by the remains of the camp. Days became weeks, which soon flowed into years. Small shrubs blossomed into trees. Summer torrents flowed into winter blizzards for what seemed like hundreds of cycles. All the while, small, alone and trapped, Zej looked on, trapped in his small prison, unable to move.
Then one day, he saw the bushes moving where the entrance to the camp had been years ago. A small wooden wagon came through, pulled by a large red birdlike creature which was being led by a disheveled looking creature walking with a stick. As the wagon came to a stop, he saw the animalÔÇÖs leader tie it to a nearby tree and begin scouring the ground. He grinned as he swept the dirt away and uncovered a brick that had once been a part of the elder orcÔÇÖs home. The creature tugged and pulled on it until it came loose, then dumped it into the wagon beside what looked like a large broken wagon wheel. He then turned and began using his long stick to poke at the bushes, still looking for something. With a clank, the stick hit ZejÔÇÖs prison. Slowly, Zej felt himself rise in the air, and he came face to face with the creature. Unlike the orcs, or the dark warriors after them, Zej sensed no malice here. The creature smiled, then dropped Zej into the back of the wagon next to the brick.
And that is how he found himself trundling down the mountain, bouncing from side to side in the wagon. This was a new beginning. The possibility of rescue once again formed in his mind. Maybe soon the wagon would take him to a new village, one where someday, someone might free him. Never again would he take his freedom for granted. And once he was granted that awesome gift, he vowed to do whatever was in his power to help that person. To repay them for returning his life to him. As the wagon slowed to a stop, and a small green face with a blue and gray eyepatch peered over at him, he felt that hope long abandoned flutter once more.
The wagon trundled down Cloudypine Mountain, its cargo shifting and jarring from side to side as the wheels seemed to hit every rut and hole in the overgrown trail. Even the violent shaking was a welcome change from the decades of loneliness and isolation he had experienced. Anything was better than that.
Zej had originally come to the mountain with a large group of others, seeking knowledge and understanding. Unfortunately, what they found instead was the orcs. They were so quiet, passionless. None of the travelers could have predicted what was coming next. After spending the day foraging for food, the group settled in for the night. Suddenly the peace of the darkness was rended by the clashing of weapons. The orcs fell on them savagely, their weapons flashing. They tried to reason with their attackers, but the orcs could not or would not understand them. They tried to hide, and defend themselves, but then tragedy fell. One of the youngest of the group panicked. Try as he might Zej could not remember his name. It had been so many years. But he remembered the look on his face as he lashed out, striking the lead orc in the leg, severing it just below the knee. Blood flew in a streaming arc. The youngster screamed, then lay still. Soon blood was flying everywhere as the orcs slashed and hacked with reckless abandon, as if they did not care what happened to themselves. More blood flew, until at last, only Zej remained. He trembled, fearing what was coming next. He knew that this was the end. But rather than the sudden death he was expecting, he found himself held fast by two burly orcs, their bloody hands held close to his face. Slowly they carried him to face a wizened old orc, who was standing proudly at the edge of the forest clearing. With one motion of his hands he instructed the two orcs holding him to dump him unceremoniously in a small cage. The elderly creature looked him over, then began to mumble incoherently. He tried to get out of the bars, but as the words poured from the old orcÔÇÖs mouth, Zej felt himself stiffen, unable to move or even shift slightly. The orc then turned and walked away, leaving him still and helpless on the ground. The next day found him sitting in the center of the orc village, put out on display as a cautionary tale to all of his kind, that this could happen to you if you return. He saw some of his people occasionally, but they remained in the edges of the woods, never venturing close to the village, the spectacle of his frozen and trapped form more than warning enough. The spell was a blessing as well as a curse. He didnÔÇÖt feel pain or hunger, and he didnÔÇÖt age. He was timeless, unable to do anything but think. And think he did. Regret for the many wrongs he had done, the mistakes he had made. And the dreams yet unfulfilled. He began to think that he would remain forever in this horrible, endless nightmare.
Then one night another battle broke out, one more heated and violent than any he had seen. The orcs fought valiantly, but the sheer number of warriors massed against them was too great, and as the last of the orcs fell, Zej felt a flutter in his mind of something that had escaped him long before, - hope. Surely the newcomers would free him. The feeling was fleeting however, as the attackers began to pillage the remains of the orc camp. One warrior stopped and looked at him, his dark skin in blazing contrast to his long flowing white hair. But rather than freeing him from his prison, he sneered, and with a mighty heave, shoved him over. For a brief moment Zej thought his prison might break, and he would be free, but he simply fell over into the bushes, and lay there silently. He watched from his new vantage point on the ground as the dark warriors finished looting the camp, and left, leaving Zev behind with nothing but the still corpses of his captors.
Time passed, and Zev watched as the bodies of the orcs decayed slowly to dust, followed soon after by the remains of the camp. Days became weeks, which soon flowed into years. Small shrubs blossomed into trees. Summer torrents flowed into winter blizzards for what seemed like hundreds of cycles. All the while, small, alone and trapped, Zej looked on, trapped in his small prison, unable to move.
Then one day, he saw the bushes moving where the entrance to the camp had been years ago. A small wooden wagon came through, pulled by a large red birdlike creature which was being led by a disheveled looking creature walking with a stick. As the wagon came to a stop, he saw the animalÔÇÖs leader tie it to a nearby tree and begin scouring the ground. He grinned as he swept the dirt away and uncovered a brick that had once been a part of the elder orcÔÇÖs home. The creature tugged and pulled on it until it came loose, then dumped it into the wagon beside what looked like a large broken wagon wheel. He then turned and began using his long stick to poke at the bushes, still looking for something. With a clank, the stick hit ZejÔÇÖs prison. Slowly, Zej felt himself rise in the air, and he came face to face with the creature. Unlike the orcs, or the dark warriors after them, Zej sensed no malice here. The creature smiled, then dropped Zej into the back of the wagon next to the brick.
And that is how he found himself trundling down the mountain, bouncing from side to side in the wagon. This was a new beginning. The possibility of rescue once again formed in his mind. Maybe soon the wagon would take him to a new village, one where someday, someone might free him. Never again would he take his freedom for granted. And once he was granted that awesome gift, he vowed to do whatever was in his power to help that person. To repay them for returning his life to him. As the wagon slowed to a stop, and a small green face with a blue and gray eyepatch peered over at him, he felt that hope long abandoned flutter once more.
- WearsHats
- Global Moderator
- Posts: 7384
- UStream Username: WearsHats
- Location: Third star to the left, and straight on until midafternoon.
Entry 2
ENTRY 2:
![Image](http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/7072/yzq.png)
![Image](http://imageshack.us/a/img51/1640/t4t.png)
![Image](http://imageshack.us/a/img90/8994/vuz.png)
Blackguard Kore
Kore canÔÇÖt possibly be a paladin!
That is what the Goblin adventure party thinks. And that is how it is in reality 13.
From the god skull mountains, a shadow has slowly, but surely crept along the roads and paths in the world, strangling all that is good, compassionate and warm in this world.
When first Kore came upon the Ogre hide out he was about to pass it by, but then he hear the talk from within the walls.
ÔÇ£Hawl, why do you keep that little dwarf kid aroundÔÇØ
ÔÇ£cause I killed his father in a battle last winter. What was I supposed to do, let him starve in the snow?ÔÇØ
Could that be right? Was there a compassionate soul within these walls? Well.. who cares, a good killing is always fun!
And so Kore entered the hide out, much as in our reality he slaughtered all within, ending with the dwarf kid. His words to the child before he slaughtered him was:
ÔÇ£IÔÇÖm sorry kid! You truly have a pure soul, and my wish was that I had the time to flay your skin from your body.. but, as things are, and what I heard, there is a small war camp I must eradicate first, so you will get off lightly, bleeding to death while hanging in your toesÔÇØ
And so Kore moved one, to kill the goblins who apparently was friendly and showed hospitality to traders...
When he arrived he only had the chance to kill two elderly goblins, but oh what a pleasure to see the smile on the blind goblin slowly turn into horror as he realized Kore was not his friend.
Interrogating the death teller of the war camp gave Kore even more to look forward to, he would hunt down and slowly kill this dwarven cleric who had shown compassion towards the goblins in the fight that had robbed Kore of his chance to kill all these friendly goblins.. oh how he would look forward to kill him.
And so, Kore tracked down Forgath, Minimax and.. he later learned Kin, a Snake girl who traveled alongside them.
At the opening to the maze of many he finally caught up with them, here he trapped and tortured Minimax who was off alone to pee. The torture lured Forgath and Kin to him, and slowly, but surely he killed them two, learning the secret of the jade teapot from Kin. And so... the blackguard Kore entered the maze of many, in the hopes to gain a magical item that could teleport him to the most good hearted person in the world.
![Image](http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/7072/yzq.png)
![Image](http://imageshack.us/a/img51/1640/t4t.png)
![Image](http://imageshack.us/a/img90/8994/vuz.png)
Blackguard Kore
Kore canÔÇÖt possibly be a paladin!
That is what the Goblin adventure party thinks. And that is how it is in reality 13.
From the god skull mountains, a shadow has slowly, but surely crept along the roads and paths in the world, strangling all that is good, compassionate and warm in this world.
When first Kore came upon the Ogre hide out he was about to pass it by, but then he hear the talk from within the walls.
ÔÇ£Hawl, why do you keep that little dwarf kid aroundÔÇØ
ÔÇ£cause I killed his father in a battle last winter. What was I supposed to do, let him starve in the snow?ÔÇØ
Could that be right? Was there a compassionate soul within these walls? Well.. who cares, a good killing is always fun!
And so Kore entered the hide out, much as in our reality he slaughtered all within, ending with the dwarf kid. His words to the child before he slaughtered him was:
ÔÇ£IÔÇÖm sorry kid! You truly have a pure soul, and my wish was that I had the time to flay your skin from your body.. but, as things are, and what I heard, there is a small war camp I must eradicate first, so you will get off lightly, bleeding to death while hanging in your toesÔÇØ
And so Kore moved one, to kill the goblins who apparently was friendly and showed hospitality to traders...
When he arrived he only had the chance to kill two elderly goblins, but oh what a pleasure to see the smile on the blind goblin slowly turn into horror as he realized Kore was not his friend.
Interrogating the death teller of the war camp gave Kore even more to look forward to, he would hunt down and slowly kill this dwarven cleric who had shown compassion towards the goblins in the fight that had robbed Kore of his chance to kill all these friendly goblins.. oh how he would look forward to kill him.
And so, Kore tracked down Forgath, Minimax and.. he later learned Kin, a Snake girl who traveled alongside them.
At the opening to the maze of many he finally caught up with them, here he trapped and tortured Minimax who was off alone to pee. The torture lured Forgath and Kin to him, and slowly, but surely he killed them two, learning the secret of the jade teapot from Kin. And so... the blackguard Kore entered the maze of many, in the hopes to gain a magical item that could teleport him to the most good hearted person in the world.
- WearsHats
- Global Moderator
- Posts: 7384
- UStream Username: WearsHats
- Location: Third star to the left, and straight on until midafternoon.
Entry 3
ENTRY 3:
![Image](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5493/9123859498_7301c797e6_z.jpg)
Click here for larger version of the image.
My Alternate Reality is a world where Y&B's prophecy tells of a druid who has lost his way and gone against nature, who lives in Brassmoon City, and who will eventually kill so many creatures and expand his city so far that the wild itself will never recover. Thaco, having met him before, realises who the prophecy is about just as the warcamp is attacked - and Fumbles' idea to take adventurer levels results in all five of them taking a first level in Druid. Fumbles never wanders off alone and is thus never tortured, but the group still goes to Brassmoon and calls out Goblinslayer for being a massive douche. They succeed in defeating him and releasing the captives as they do in the comic, and now roam the land as defenders of nature.
![Image](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5493/9123859498_7301c797e6_z.jpg)
Click here for larger version of the image.
My Alternate Reality is a world where Y&B's prophecy tells of a druid who has lost his way and gone against nature, who lives in Brassmoon City, and who will eventually kill so many creatures and expand his city so far that the wild itself will never recover. Thaco, having met him before, realises who the prophecy is about just as the warcamp is attacked - and Fumbles' idea to take adventurer levels results in all five of them taking a first level in Druid. Fumbles never wanders off alone and is thus never tortured, but the group still goes to Brassmoon and calls out Goblinslayer for being a massive douche. They succeed in defeating him and releasing the captives as they do in the comic, and now roam the land as defenders of nature.
- WearsHats
- Global Moderator
- Posts: 7384
- UStream Username: WearsHats
- Location: Third star to the left, and straight on until midafternoon.
Entry 4
ENTRY 4:
The constant wars have spurred the growth of Industry and Military Technology but the massive demands for army resources and building materials have stripped the land bare of itÔÇÖs natural resources and the technology has polluted the land beyond repair. A constant smog stains the sky black, what few trees still stand are long dead and the earth is nothing but mud. Corpses lie openly rotting along supply lines and on battlefields both recent and ancient.
A few cities, both Gnomish and Goblin, stab up from the landscape, constructed of rusting metal and rotting wood. Inside there is only despair as the inhabitants scrape out a meager, miserable existence on whatever scraps of rations and resources the armies do not need. The pounding, whirring and whine of machinery and industry is all that can be heard from inside or out. But a new dawn is coming.
The Gnomes have harnessed a powerful technology to create machines of war. Brave Gnomish pilots, who act as elite warriors and special forces, drive these machines into battle and put their mechs and their lives on the line for a single purpose: to destroy Goblin-kind.
Forgath: The pilot of an older but battle-tested model of mech. Officially designated as ÔÇ£The UnflankableÔÇØ and is built wider and significantly shorter than the experimental MinMax model and stands at four feet even. One of the first mechs designed, it is truthfully closer to Gnomish power armour in size when compared to the MinMax model. It increases strength and provides a massive set of armour against Goblin attacks. Constructed of steel with a chain-mail ÔÇ£beardÔÇØ.
The Drow: Three failed mech designs. Went offline on their first field test against a Goblins warcamp. Pilots survived but badly injured. All three pilots recovered and are now piloting new mech designs known as the Baka, Tucker and Yodette.
Goblinslayer: A once venerated and grizzled Gnome war-veteran stuck in the largest but most resource-strapped Gnomish city of Brassmoon. He scoffs at mechs. Taken off the frontlines for mental reasons and put in a supervisory position after he killed a mech pilot for ÔÇ£stealing his killÔÇ£ during a battle. Disgusted with the recognition and fame that these pilots are gaining in the war against Goblins, Goblinslayer fears that he and his kind of warrior, the common foot-soldier, will fall by the wayside and be forgotten in the shadows of these mech pilots. He wants desperately to get back his fame and get back in the fight but in the meantime he gets his kicks by torturing Goblin P.O.Ws. Thaco still escaped from him.
Kore: It is told that far beyond the Godskull Mountains there is a cabal of mad Gnomish inventors. Their tales of their work is legendary but whispered in fear. It is said that a fearsome mech exists, piloted by the most fanatical (some would say insane) member of that Gnomish circle. The pilot believes that any Gnome who is ÔÇÿtaintedÔÇÖ by evil will transform into a Goblin and must therefore be eradicated. Constructed of a strange ultra-dense, ultra-strong metal with a beard of mithral chain-mail. Few have seen this mech and lived.
Complains: Fought the Minmax mech at the camp and still managed to injure the mechÔÇÖs right ocular circuit. He was badly injured at the Battle of Brassmoon but received several emergency mechanical implants and is now a cyborg, with his mechanical parts built to resemble a demon. Uses a superheated ÔÇÖthermobladeÔÇÖ sword.
Thaco: An elder goblin who absolutely refuses to enhance himself with mechanical implants and still uses his old fashioned steel swords.
Big Ears: A goblin warrior who received sub-dermal mechanical implants to enhance his strength. His ears are completely mechanical, enhancing his sense of hearing, but oversized. Wields the Axe of Prissan, a powerful axe made of ultra-light, ultra-dense and unbreakable metal with a mono-molecular edge.
Fumbles: A poor fellow who received extensive but faulty sub-dermal and ocular implants. As a result, his malfunctioning implants cause him to ÔÇ£fumbleÔÇØ often. Constructed a ÔÇ£mustacheÔÇØ of thick cables.
The First Raid happened largely as it did in the comics, though it was much a trial run for the new mech designs as it was a raid for supplies. Forgath fought and killed Young and Beautiful. Dies Horribly died horribly at the hands of Drasst who was later killed by the other goblins. Forgath did not heal Thaco, rather he was distracted by Big Ears while Chief dragged Thaco away. Minmax and Complains still fought in the Garden of Statues but Minmax was stopped by a mechanical failure and the other Goblins and a raging Complains was dragged away by the others who made a strategic retreat.
The GAP never became adventurers and retreated back to the largest Goblin city called Cryptic Fall. They stayed there while Thaco recovered and, as dictated by the Supreme Warlord, assisted with the planning to assault the Gnomish city of Brassmoon.
Minmax and Forgath went back to Brassmoon. Minmax and Forgath left their mechs at the repair-station and went to the tavern. As mech pilots, their arrival at the tavern was much celebrated and they were highly praised and given special treatment such as free ale. This brought them the unwanted attention of an already drunk and jealous Goblinslayer. Goblinslayer challenged MinMax to a fight and MinMax won.
Kore was already fully aware of the location of Cryptic Fall and was heading there to single-handily attempt to clear the city when he passed through the remains of the war camp. Still killed Asks Nonsense and Taps (both young Goblins in this universe), who were sent from the city back to the war camp to scavenge for salvageable parts or useful resources in the ruins of battle.
The Battle of Brassmoon went very differently. It was a carefully planned attack. Thaco led the GAP as a strike-team into the prison through the sewers and still released the massive amount of Goblin POWs held there. This time however, when Chief hacked the front gate to open Goblins ran inside while the POWs came in from the back in a pincer maneuver. MinMax and Forgath did not have time to get to their mechs but fought the battle anyway, slicing their way towards the repair-station.
MinMax ran into Complains inside the repair-station while climbing into his mech and they had a big ass dramatic battle in which Complains was badly injured. MinMax was going to slay Complains but Goblins had begun flooding into the repair-station and MinMax had to leave before his mech was swarmed and destroyed. Forgath (also in his mech) got away as well. Thaco killed Goblinslayer. Fumbles killed that jackass bartender named Lenard.
Complains was repaired into a cyborg and Brassmoon was torn apart for useful resources and the rest of it was burned to the ground.
MinMax and Forgath are currently raising an army and preparing an attack on Cryptic Fall. Kore, MinMax and Forgath will all reach the city simultaneously.
Updated with minor edits Monday June 24 at 5pm EDT.
Concept
Goblins + Mecha
Summary
In this reality, Gnomes and Goblins are the only sentient races. Gnomes and Goblins are constantly trying to eradicate each other. Constant warfare is the way of life here and both sides suffer, locked in a desperate but deadlocked struggle for survival. The constant wars have spurred the growth of Industry and Military Technology but the massive demands for army resources and building materials have stripped the land bare of itÔÇÖs natural resources and the technology has polluted the land beyond repair. A constant smog stains the sky black, what few trees still stand are long dead and the earth is nothing but mud. Corpses lie openly rotting along supply lines and on battlefields both recent and ancient.
A few cities, both Gnomish and Goblin, stab up from the landscape, constructed of rusting metal and rotting wood. Inside there is only despair as the inhabitants scrape out a meager, miserable existence on whatever scraps of rations and resources the armies do not need. The pounding, whirring and whine of machinery and industry is all that can be heard from inside or out. But a new dawn is coming.
The Gnomes have harnessed a powerful technology to create machines of war. Brave Gnomish pilots, who act as elite warriors and special forces, drive these machines into battle and put their mechs and their lives on the line for a single purpose: to destroy Goblin-kind.
Familiar Faces
MinMax: Pilot of the most advanced experimental fighting mech available. This mech is six feet tall and powerfully built and was designed by the Holy Gnomish Department of Warfare Research and Goblin Eradication in Brassmoon. Designated on official construction blueprints as ÔÇ£The Unstoppable WarriorÔÇØ. This mech is constructed of heavy steel alloy plates and increases strength, speed and many other attributes beyond normal limits. Forgath: The pilot of an older but battle-tested model of mech. Officially designated as ÔÇ£The UnflankableÔÇØ and is built wider and significantly shorter than the experimental MinMax model and stands at four feet even. One of the first mechs designed, it is truthfully closer to Gnomish power armour in size when compared to the MinMax model. It increases strength and provides a massive set of armour against Goblin attacks. Constructed of steel with a chain-mail ÔÇ£beardÔÇØ.
The Drow: Three failed mech designs. Went offline on their first field test against a Goblins warcamp. Pilots survived but badly injured. All three pilots recovered and are now piloting new mech designs known as the Baka, Tucker and Yodette.
Goblinslayer: A once venerated and grizzled Gnome war-veteran stuck in the largest but most resource-strapped Gnomish city of Brassmoon. He scoffs at mechs. Taken off the frontlines for mental reasons and put in a supervisory position after he killed a mech pilot for ÔÇ£stealing his killÔÇ£ during a battle. Disgusted with the recognition and fame that these pilots are gaining in the war against Goblins, Goblinslayer fears that he and his kind of warrior, the common foot-soldier, will fall by the wayside and be forgotten in the shadows of these mech pilots. He wants desperately to get back his fame and get back in the fight but in the meantime he gets his kicks by torturing Goblin P.O.Ws. Thaco still escaped from him.
Kore: It is told that far beyond the Godskull Mountains there is a cabal of mad Gnomish inventors. Their tales of their work is legendary but whispered in fear. It is said that a fearsome mech exists, piloted by the most fanatical (some would say insane) member of that Gnomish circle. The pilot believes that any Gnome who is ÔÇÿtaintedÔÇÖ by evil will transform into a Goblin and must therefore be eradicated. Constructed of a strange ultra-dense, ultra-strong metal with a beard of mithral chain-mail. Few have seen this mech and lived.
The Goblins:
Chief: Lost his eye in an industrial accident and had it replaced with a mechanical one that has several settings such as zoom, infrared and night-vision. Extremely skilled at mechanical repair, biotech grafting and sabotage, a bit like a hacker or tinkerer. Uses a gatling-style repeating crossbow rather than his spear.Complains: Fought the Minmax mech at the camp and still managed to injure the mechÔÇÖs right ocular circuit. He was badly injured at the Battle of Brassmoon but received several emergency mechanical implants and is now a cyborg, with his mechanical parts built to resemble a demon. Uses a superheated ÔÇÖthermobladeÔÇÖ sword.
Thaco: An elder goblin who absolutely refuses to enhance himself with mechanical implants and still uses his old fashioned steel swords.
Big Ears: A goblin warrior who received sub-dermal mechanical implants to enhance his strength. His ears are completely mechanical, enhancing his sense of hearing, but oversized. Wields the Axe of Prissan, a powerful axe made of ultra-light, ultra-dense and unbreakable metal with a mono-molecular edge.
Fumbles: A poor fellow who received extensive but faulty sub-dermal and ocular implants. As a result, his malfunctioning implants cause him to ÔÇ£fumbleÔÇØ often. Constructed a ÔÇ£mustacheÔÇØ of thick cables.
Important Events
The First Raid happened largely as it did in the comics, though it was much a trial run for the new mech designs as it was a raid for supplies. Forgath fought and killed Young and Beautiful. Dies Horribly died horribly at the hands of Drasst who was later killed by the other goblins. Forgath did not heal Thaco, rather he was distracted by Big Ears while Chief dragged Thaco away. Minmax and Complains still fought in the Garden of Statues but Minmax was stopped by a mechanical failure and the other Goblins and a raging Complains was dragged away by the others who made a strategic retreat.
The GAP never became adventurers and retreated back to the largest Goblin city called Cryptic Fall. They stayed there while Thaco recovered and, as dictated by the Supreme Warlord, assisted with the planning to assault the Gnomish city of Brassmoon.
Minmax and Forgath went back to Brassmoon. Minmax and Forgath left their mechs at the repair-station and went to the tavern. As mech pilots, their arrival at the tavern was much celebrated and they were highly praised and given special treatment such as free ale. This brought them the unwanted attention of an already drunk and jealous Goblinslayer. Goblinslayer challenged MinMax to a fight and MinMax won.
Kore was already fully aware of the location of Cryptic Fall and was heading there to single-handily attempt to clear the city when he passed through the remains of the war camp. Still killed Asks Nonsense and Taps (both young Goblins in this universe), who were sent from the city back to the war camp to scavenge for salvageable parts or useful resources in the ruins of battle.
The Battle of Brassmoon went very differently. It was a carefully planned attack. Thaco led the GAP as a strike-team into the prison through the sewers and still released the massive amount of Goblin POWs held there. This time however, when Chief hacked the front gate to open Goblins ran inside while the POWs came in from the back in a pincer maneuver. MinMax and Forgath did not have time to get to their mechs but fought the battle anyway, slicing their way towards the repair-station.
MinMax ran into Complains inside the repair-station while climbing into his mech and they had a big ass dramatic battle in which Complains was badly injured. MinMax was going to slay Complains but Goblins had begun flooding into the repair-station and MinMax had to leave before his mech was swarmed and destroyed. Forgath (also in his mech) got away as well. Thaco killed Goblinslayer. Fumbles killed that jackass bartender named Lenard.
Complains was repaired into a cyborg and Brassmoon was torn apart for useful resources and the rest of it was burned to the ground.
MinMax and Forgath are currently raising an army and preparing an attack on Cryptic Fall. Kore, MinMax and Forgath will all reach the city simultaneously.
Updated with minor edits Monday June 24 at 5pm EDT.
- WearsHats
- Global Moderator
- Posts: 7384
- UStream Username: WearsHats
- Location: Third star to the left, and straight on until midafternoon.
Entry 5
ENTRY 5:
On a web comic game forum:
Herbert: So to recap. Each of you will be playing a goblin in my custom d&d-ish world, and, weÔÇÖve all gathered here on the forum for the first session at the same time, regardless of time zone, so that we can knock out some play by post rapidly, the better to get into character. And, at my momÔÇÖs insistence, in whose basement I live, you all will start at 2nd level. Introduce yourselves.
GlocksAtYou: IÔÇÖm playing a cleric who specializes in archery, and whose order is more militaristic. That should keep me in the back the better to healbot.
AsksToMunch: IÔÇÖm playing a barbarian, who is always hungry. His catchphrase is ÔÇ£Are you going to eat that?ÔÇØ Thinking about being hungry helps me go into rage.
SwearsHats: IÔÇÖm playing a paladin, whose aversion to traditional swearing has taken on the unusual substitution of hats. His catchphrase is ÔÇ£Son of a beret!ÔÇØ
Flamb├®s: IÔÇÖm a sorcerer supreme, specializing in fire.
ThinksLoJack-aly: IÔÇÖm playing an older monk, with a dark past as an escaped slave. I took the substitution feat Track to be able to find slavers, and aid escaped slaves.
SwearsHats: I can get behind that goal.
Herbert: Great! Now close your eyes for a moment as you imagine the steady tap tap tapping of the key strokes. Slowly open your eyes and watch the cursor moving hypnotically across the screen. The world around you fades as your vision tunnels toward the story spinning out in front of you. The World is calling you, reaching out through the electrons and pulling you In. As if from a great height you find yourself falling onto a dusty plain with 2 boxes of equipment.
KRACKOOM!
SwearsHats: What the Fez, where are we?!!
AsksToMunch: Who are we!? IÔÇÖm huge, and small. I mean IÔÇÖm muscular and hungry.
ThinksLoJack-aly: Guys, if that is you, then I think we have bigger problems. I saw a dust trail heading this way on our way in.
GlocksAtYou: Alright everyone, grab your equipment from the boxes and get ready for a fight! Well, one box, it looks like the other one exploded during the  transition.
Flamb├®s: Ow, my head!
As everyone gears up certain gear seems to call to them: Glocks finds a magical bow, Swears finds a hat of disguise, Asks finds an oversize sword, and LoJack finds a magical cloak to supplement his loin cloth.
ThinksLoJack-aly: Cool, so I have a couple of monk weapons that look like they will aid my martial arts style, and let me block. What did you guys get?
GlocksAtYou: IÔÇÖll tell you what I donÔÇÖt have. I donÔÇÖt have armor to fit me. The only armor fits the yellow goblin.
SwearsHats: That would be me, Swears. I also have an axe.
AsksToMunch: I seem to be able to wield this sword despite how big it is. I hope Herbert gave me a size bonus on damage.
ThinksLoJack-aly: Compensating for something? *smirk*
SwearsHats: Do you really think d&d rules apply here?
AsksToMunch: I donÔÇÖt know. I appear to be my character. Who was Herbert anyway? Had any of you ever met him any place other than the forum?
Flamb├®s: I knew him. *holds head in hands* He said he had something special planned for us, *whimper*, something out of THIS world. Oh no, no, no. He was kind of weird, living in his momÔÇÖs basement. She was odd too. *Ahh* They had all of these really old looking books, and UV paint on the walls in the basement. It BURNS. He did not say it would hurt this much, the fire, the fireÔǪ
Flamb├®s collapses to the ground unconscious, with a trickle of blood coming out of his nose.
Glocks: IÔÇÖm thinking the game was too much for Flamb├®s
***
Six riders come up and circle you. They have whips and scimitars.
Thinks: Slavers.
Glocks: Hey, I should have seen them coming in enough time to cast Bulls Strength on myself; it is part of my standard tactics. Anyway, I shoot one.
Asks: I rage and attack.
You donÔÇÖt rage.
Asks: What? I mean IÔÇÖm really mad, why wouldnÔÇÖt I rage?
One slaver shoots a crossbow at Thinks.
Thinks: I block it.
Swears: I jump up to knock one off of his horse as I disguise to look like him.
He does not get knocked off the horse, but you are on the horse right behind him and can make an attack. He hits you.
Asks: See, my friend is hit, and I need to rage.
Two arrows come from Glocks and hit at point blank range. The bow seems to adjust to your strength bonus, and has splitting.
One slaver misses Thinks, two hit Asks.
Asks: See, Im hit, I use that to fuel my rage aw come on!
Thinks: I break a horse leg.
It stumbles throwing the rider.
Asks: IÔÇÖm getting pretty tired of being left out of this. I reach deep inside, remembering that I havenÔÇÖt eaten in this entire life, fueling my hunger for blood with my memories of hunger from another life! I attack one of the ones that attacked me.
HeÔÇÖs chopped in half. Looks like your weapon gives you reach too.
Swears and the slaver exchange punches. You think Swears won, but you are not sure; neither is another slaver who hesitates.
Glocks: I shoot the hesitator.
He will hesitate forevermore. One hits Glocks from behind. Two others get up off the ground.
Thinks: I go mano on goblino on my guy.
Goblino FTW.
Asks: Rahhh!
Asks cleaves another one, though not all the way through. The momentum of the horse must have helped last time.
Swears, on a horse: Holy haberdashers! I wheel the horse on the fallen slaver.
Glocks: And I shoot the last one, or anyone trying to get away.
Everyone is breathing rather hard, though the monk has a nice in through the nose out through the mouth rhythm going. Asks is still frothing.
Thinks: Hey Asks buddy, calm down now.
Asks, a glint in his eye, advances on Thinks.
Thinks: Asks! Munches! There will be food in the saddlebags!
The light goes out of Asks eyes and he feels tired.
All: LOOT.
The saddlebags donÔÇÖt have more than a single human meal each, a waterskin, and a dayÔÇÖs food for the horses. The clothes from the slavers may protect you some from the sun. These riders only had a few copper and a silver each.
Thinks: The main slavers must be close; these guys could not have come far.
Glocks: I heal Asks.
Swears: IÔÇÖll be a watchmanÔÇÖs cap, what do we do now? (I LOH myself.)
Asks: Did any of you occasionally hear what sounded like Herbert during the fight?
Glocks: Not me. Not yet
Thinks: Well, we have horses, but Flamb├®s will have to be led. We could try to head to a city, or towards or away from the slavers.
Swears: I get the sense that Herbert planned this intro fight for us. The next one may not be so easy, and that 2nd box looks like it had some good stuff in it. I saw a broken magicianÔÇÖs staff, burnt rope belt, charred prayer beads, melted metal, cracked goggles, boiled bottles and more I could not identify. Why ever Herbert sent us here, weÔÇÖre not as prepared as he expected.
Asks: Any extra food?
Thinks: I can get us close to the slavers, and then we follow them? Cause I donÔÇÖt see why we would choose any other direction.
Glocks: Agreed, we follow the tracks back to camp, but we try to stay out of sight. Asks, if you want extra food, all that there is is the bodies.
Asks: Err, suddenly I remember what it is like to be human earlier today and I donÔÇÖt want to turn cannibal yet.
***
You find the camp just after nightfall. They have a watch, and you are remarkably tired somehow not being used to riding horses. Flamb├®s seems to have a fever and none of your spells seem to help him.
Glocks: I rest and recover spells I pray to Herbert.
*grins* You recover spells, and split the watches of the night without incident.
Swears: Hey guys, this is real, I mean really real. I did some thinking last night. I always wanted to be a paladin. That is why I choose that character. But actually being a character, well, it has some advantages over RL. IÔÇÖm strong, and healthy, and I wasnÔÇÖt back home. Aside from Flamb├®s there, who still hasnÔÇÖt woken up, I think I like it here.
Munches: I know what you mean. Social situations here are easy compared to back home. There IÔÇÖd not know what to say to a girl, but here, well, IÔÇÖve played role playing games as long as I can remember. I know most things we kill, and then gold and fame works the rest of the time. Unless we need to be sneaky, or diplomatic, but neither of those is my strong point anyway.
Thinks: Shhh. Just because they are making noise breaking camp over there doesnt mean you can blabber over here. But yeah, I like being good at martial arts and seeing in the dark. The oriental monastic mindset is peaceful too. Im sure well find challenges, but if we level, we can rise to make a difference. And along the way maybe figure out why Herbert sent us here.
Glocks: Well, I could ask him.
*stunned looks*
Glocks: Yeah, turns out Herbert is a god in this world and that detail must have gotten filled in on my character sheet. I was kinda vague on the background of my order. I just wanted to play in a game after so long GMing that I rushed it.
On a web comic game forum:
Herbert: So to recap. Each of you will be playing a goblin in my custom d&d-ish world, and, weÔÇÖve all gathered here on the forum for the first session at the same time, regardless of time zone, so that we can knock out some play by post rapidly, the better to get into character. And, at my momÔÇÖs insistence, in whose basement I live, you all will start at 2nd level. Introduce yourselves.
GlocksAtYou: IÔÇÖm playing a cleric who specializes in archery, and whose order is more militaristic. That should keep me in the back the better to healbot.
AsksToMunch: IÔÇÖm playing a barbarian, who is always hungry. His catchphrase is ÔÇ£Are you going to eat that?ÔÇØ Thinking about being hungry helps me go into rage.
SwearsHats: IÔÇÖm playing a paladin, whose aversion to traditional swearing has taken on the unusual substitution of hats. His catchphrase is ÔÇ£Son of a beret!ÔÇØ
Flamb├®s: IÔÇÖm a sorcerer supreme, specializing in fire.
ThinksLoJack-aly: IÔÇÖm playing an older monk, with a dark past as an escaped slave. I took the substitution feat Track to be able to find slavers, and aid escaped slaves.
SwearsHats: I can get behind that goal.
Herbert: Great! Now close your eyes for a moment as you imagine the steady tap tap tapping of the key strokes. Slowly open your eyes and watch the cursor moving hypnotically across the screen. The world around you fades as your vision tunnels toward the story spinning out in front of you. The World is calling you, reaching out through the electrons and pulling you In. As if from a great height you find yourself falling onto a dusty plain with 2 boxes of equipment.
KRACKOOM!
SwearsHats: What the Fez, where are we?!!
AsksToMunch: Who are we!? IÔÇÖm huge, and small. I mean IÔÇÖm muscular and hungry.
ThinksLoJack-aly: Guys, if that is you, then I think we have bigger problems. I saw a dust trail heading this way on our way in.
GlocksAtYou: Alright everyone, grab your equipment from the boxes and get ready for a fight! Well, one box, it looks like the other one exploded during the  transition.
Flamb├®s: Ow, my head!
As everyone gears up certain gear seems to call to them: Glocks finds a magical bow, Swears finds a hat of disguise, Asks finds an oversize sword, and LoJack finds a magical cloak to supplement his loin cloth.
ThinksLoJack-aly: Cool, so I have a couple of monk weapons that look like they will aid my martial arts style, and let me block. What did you guys get?
GlocksAtYou: IÔÇÖll tell you what I donÔÇÖt have. I donÔÇÖt have armor to fit me. The only armor fits the yellow goblin.
SwearsHats: That would be me, Swears. I also have an axe.
AsksToMunch: I seem to be able to wield this sword despite how big it is. I hope Herbert gave me a size bonus on damage.
ThinksLoJack-aly: Compensating for something? *smirk*
SwearsHats: Do you really think d&d rules apply here?
AsksToMunch: I donÔÇÖt know. I appear to be my character. Who was Herbert anyway? Had any of you ever met him any place other than the forum?
Flamb├®s: I knew him. *holds head in hands* He said he had something special planned for us, *whimper*, something out of THIS world. Oh no, no, no. He was kind of weird, living in his momÔÇÖs basement. She was odd too. *Ahh* They had all of these really old looking books, and UV paint on the walls in the basement. It BURNS. He did not say it would hurt this much, the fire, the fireÔǪ
Flamb├®s collapses to the ground unconscious, with a trickle of blood coming out of his nose.
Glocks: IÔÇÖm thinking the game was too much for Flamb├®s
***
Six riders come up and circle you. They have whips and scimitars.
Thinks: Slavers.
Glocks: Hey, I should have seen them coming in enough time to cast Bulls Strength on myself; it is part of my standard tactics. Anyway, I shoot one.
Asks: I rage and attack.
You donÔÇÖt rage.
Asks: What? I mean IÔÇÖm really mad, why wouldnÔÇÖt I rage?
One slaver shoots a crossbow at Thinks.
Thinks: I block it.
Swears: I jump up to knock one off of his horse as I disguise to look like him.
He does not get knocked off the horse, but you are on the horse right behind him and can make an attack. He hits you.
Asks: See, my friend is hit, and I need to rage.
Two arrows come from Glocks and hit at point blank range. The bow seems to adjust to your strength bonus, and has splitting.
One slaver misses Thinks, two hit Asks.
Asks: See, Im hit, I use that to fuel my rage aw come on!
Thinks: I break a horse leg.
It stumbles throwing the rider.
Asks: IÔÇÖm getting pretty tired of being left out of this. I reach deep inside, remembering that I havenÔÇÖt eaten in this entire life, fueling my hunger for blood with my memories of hunger from another life! I attack one of the ones that attacked me.
HeÔÇÖs chopped in half. Looks like your weapon gives you reach too.
Swears and the slaver exchange punches. You think Swears won, but you are not sure; neither is another slaver who hesitates.
Glocks: I shoot the hesitator.
He will hesitate forevermore. One hits Glocks from behind. Two others get up off the ground.
Thinks: I go mano on goblino on my guy.
Goblino FTW.
Asks: Rahhh!
Asks cleaves another one, though not all the way through. The momentum of the horse must have helped last time.
Swears, on a horse: Holy haberdashers! I wheel the horse on the fallen slaver.
Glocks: And I shoot the last one, or anyone trying to get away.
Everyone is breathing rather hard, though the monk has a nice in through the nose out through the mouth rhythm going. Asks is still frothing.
Thinks: Hey Asks buddy, calm down now.
Asks, a glint in his eye, advances on Thinks.
Thinks: Asks! Munches! There will be food in the saddlebags!
The light goes out of Asks eyes and he feels tired.
All: LOOT.
The saddlebags donÔÇÖt have more than a single human meal each, a waterskin, and a dayÔÇÖs food for the horses. The clothes from the slavers may protect you some from the sun. These riders only had a few copper and a silver each.
Thinks: The main slavers must be close; these guys could not have come far.
Glocks: I heal Asks.
Swears: IÔÇÖll be a watchmanÔÇÖs cap, what do we do now? (I LOH myself.)
Asks: Did any of you occasionally hear what sounded like Herbert during the fight?
Glocks: Not me. Not yet
Thinks: Well, we have horses, but Flamb├®s will have to be led. We could try to head to a city, or towards or away from the slavers.
Swears: I get the sense that Herbert planned this intro fight for us. The next one may not be so easy, and that 2nd box looks like it had some good stuff in it. I saw a broken magicianÔÇÖs staff, burnt rope belt, charred prayer beads, melted metal, cracked goggles, boiled bottles and more I could not identify. Why ever Herbert sent us here, weÔÇÖre not as prepared as he expected.
Asks: Any extra food?
Thinks: I can get us close to the slavers, and then we follow them? Cause I donÔÇÖt see why we would choose any other direction.
Glocks: Agreed, we follow the tracks back to camp, but we try to stay out of sight. Asks, if you want extra food, all that there is is the bodies.
Asks: Err, suddenly I remember what it is like to be human earlier today and I donÔÇÖt want to turn cannibal yet.
***
You find the camp just after nightfall. They have a watch, and you are remarkably tired somehow not being used to riding horses. Flamb├®s seems to have a fever and none of your spells seem to help him.
Glocks: I rest and recover spells I pray to Herbert.
*grins* You recover spells, and split the watches of the night without incident.
Swears: Hey guys, this is real, I mean really real. I did some thinking last night. I always wanted to be a paladin. That is why I choose that character. But actually being a character, well, it has some advantages over RL. IÔÇÖm strong, and healthy, and I wasnÔÇÖt back home. Aside from Flamb├®s there, who still hasnÔÇÖt woken up, I think I like it here.
Munches: I know what you mean. Social situations here are easy compared to back home. There IÔÇÖd not know what to say to a girl, but here, well, IÔÇÖve played role playing games as long as I can remember. I know most things we kill, and then gold and fame works the rest of the time. Unless we need to be sneaky, or diplomatic, but neither of those is my strong point anyway.
Thinks: Shhh. Just because they are making noise breaking camp over there doesnt mean you can blabber over here. But yeah, I like being good at martial arts and seeing in the dark. The oriental monastic mindset is peaceful too. Im sure well find challenges, but if we level, we can rise to make a difference. And along the way maybe figure out why Herbert sent us here.
Glocks: Well, I could ask him.
*stunned looks*
Glocks: Yeah, turns out Herbert is a god in this world and that detail must have gotten filled in on my character sheet. I was kinda vague on the background of my order. I just wanted to play in a game after so long GMing that I rushed it.
► Show Spoiler
- WearsHats
- Global Moderator
- Posts: 7384
- UStream Username: WearsHats
- Location: Third star to the left, and straight on until midafternoon.
Entry 6
ENTRY 6:
Ora gasped. "Is that... us, Mom?"
Kin nodded. "They're alternate versions of us from other realities. In a little while, the race for the treasure room will begin. They'll be our competition."
Scrole stepped through the shimmering portal behind them, his scarred, impassive face calm and still. "I see from the other rooms that our reality is not a typical one in the multiverse. You seem to be present in most of the other rooms, Kin, but in many you are accompanied by a human and a dwarf." His Familiar, a sleek black bat, mewed and squeaked in agreement, before clambering back into one wide sleeve of his dark green robes.
"It is likely that we will have to eradicate many alternate versions of ourselves in order to attain the Glove. What is our projected combat efficacy, Scrole?" Kin drew one of the sharp daggers at her belt and tested it against the nails of one hand.
The hobgoblin looked thoughtful for a few seconds, then spoke slowly. "I have prepared a larger than normal number of Evocation and Abjuration spells in order to maximise my offensive and defensive capabilities. Your Assassin capabilities should give us a competitive edge against our alternates, as I suspect that in very few realities will any alternates have passed 4th level. How is your recovery from the fight with the kobold progressing, youngling Ora?"
Three days earlier, on the trail from Brassmoon, the fourth member of their group, a kobold named Takn, after a fierce and bitter argument with the three, had run off. He had returned in the dead of night and in an act of spiteful revenge, had set fire to the tent they were sleeping in. The young orc had been the only one fit enough to chase him down, and had cornered him in a small cave where he had been hiding, where, despite suffering a broken arm from the rocks the lizard pelted at her, Ora had taken swift revenge for the attempt on the life of her and her parents.
"I'm only short of a few hitpoints now Dad, I've been keeping my healing magic for when we got to the dungeon crawl. Here Mom, let me.... Magic Weapon!" A bed of ethereal blue flowers bloomed round Ora's feet as she skipped over and touched a dainty finger to the dagger Kin held, which in turn took on a light of it's own.
Kin twirled the knife experimentally, and satisfied, smiled proudly and thrust it into the hard leather bandolier across her chest. "Thanks sweetheart, now remember, when the engagement commences, remain in a defensive location behind your father and I. Lord Dellyn may not be concerned with our somatic welfare on this quest, but you're too important to us to get hurt again."
At this, the door on the other side of the room slid open with a heavy rumble, revealing a long dark passageway beyond.
"Well, this is it. Let's go."
________________
In this universe, Saral Caine and the Goblinslayer never met, as unlike most realities, where Saral's mother was killed stealing an adventurer's coinpurse, here she succeeded. Thus, young Saral was brought up in relative luxury, while Dellyn remained a street rat. So, the two never shared their tough upbringing, and Dellyn was never taught to fight. Years later, Saral founded the Elites at the same time as Reality #156, and had the political leader's of Brassmoon assassinated. After the Goblins broke in to rescue Fumbles, and Big Ears killed Saral, his machinations came to light, and Dellyn, popular among the common folk, was the leading figure in having the monsters released from the secret dungeons beneath the city and integrated into Brassmoon society. Dellyn was eventually appointed as the new mayor. Here, this reality's group enter the story. Scrole, Kin and Ora were imprisoned in the same cell, where the Yuan-Ti and the hobgoblin took the young orc under their wings and adopted her, forming a small, slightly odd family unit. During this time, Scrole took the majority of the punishment for his surrogate wife and child, receiving similar scars to the Scrole of our reality, but culminating in Saral cutting off his hands. In this reality, the Blue Orb of Bloodlight was in Brassmoon at the time of the Battle of Wonder, and part of its magic was imbued into the stone in the place of the Talking Wall. Scrole was playing near there with his daughter one day when her natural healing abilities activated, drawing on the magic laying latent in the stone, and restored Scrole's hands as ones of flowing magical energy. Having no professions to speak of, the Silkscale Yuan-Ti having been wiped out when Kin was a child, and Scrole being unable to find work among the humans because of his horribly scarred face, the two apparent parents took this as a sign and took class levels, Kin as a rogue and Scrole as a wizard, in order to help their child's magic develop. Six years after this, the family had carved out a niche for themselves as a moderately famous and successful adventuring group. Scrole was now a 7th level wizard, Kin a 5th level rogue, with prestige class levels in Assassin, and Ora a 3rd level cleric. The family was called upon by Lord Dellyn to retrieve the Glove of Anaktar, a powerful magic item used by the rulers of Brassmoon in the ancient past to prevent devastating floods that had returned in recent years, ruining the city's crops. The Glove is another item in the Treasure Room of the Maze of Many. They abandoned their current mission, to escort a Kobold noble named Takn across country to attend a trade pact, in order to travel to the Maze, but Takn, uninterested, had derided the team's wish to stop the starvation of the people of Brassmoon, leading Scrole to forcibly remove him from their camp.
In this reality, Forgath and Minmax found the Anymug in the Poorly Locked Chest, and used it to create the famously successful ForMax Dwarvern Stew Company, which has franchises all over the realm. Minmax is richer than the King of Everything that Exists, and Forgath pays a full time lackey to listen to the stupid things Minmax says.
The GAP, less Complains who was killed in the battle with Kore, entered the Depths of Dragon's Maw and were never seen again, (although there were rumours that a sorceror had been experimenting with time manipulation spells in there), and Cryptic Fall lore states that their last Chief will return one day when his clan needs him most.
Ora gasped. "Is that... us, Mom?"
Kin nodded. "They're alternate versions of us from other realities. In a little while, the race for the treasure room will begin. They'll be our competition."
Scrole stepped through the shimmering portal behind them, his scarred, impassive face calm and still. "I see from the other rooms that our reality is not a typical one in the multiverse. You seem to be present in most of the other rooms, Kin, but in many you are accompanied by a human and a dwarf." His Familiar, a sleek black bat, mewed and squeaked in agreement, before clambering back into one wide sleeve of his dark green robes.
"It is likely that we will have to eradicate many alternate versions of ourselves in order to attain the Glove. What is our projected combat efficacy, Scrole?" Kin drew one of the sharp daggers at her belt and tested it against the nails of one hand.
The hobgoblin looked thoughtful for a few seconds, then spoke slowly. "I have prepared a larger than normal number of Evocation and Abjuration spells in order to maximise my offensive and defensive capabilities. Your Assassin capabilities should give us a competitive edge against our alternates, as I suspect that in very few realities will any alternates have passed 4th level. How is your recovery from the fight with the kobold progressing, youngling Ora?"
Three days earlier, on the trail from Brassmoon, the fourth member of their group, a kobold named Takn, after a fierce and bitter argument with the three, had run off. He had returned in the dead of night and in an act of spiteful revenge, had set fire to the tent they were sleeping in. The young orc had been the only one fit enough to chase him down, and had cornered him in a small cave where he had been hiding, where, despite suffering a broken arm from the rocks the lizard pelted at her, Ora had taken swift revenge for the attempt on the life of her and her parents.
"I'm only short of a few hitpoints now Dad, I've been keeping my healing magic for when we got to the dungeon crawl. Here Mom, let me.... Magic Weapon!" A bed of ethereal blue flowers bloomed round Ora's feet as she skipped over and touched a dainty finger to the dagger Kin held, which in turn took on a light of it's own.
Kin twirled the knife experimentally, and satisfied, smiled proudly and thrust it into the hard leather bandolier across her chest. "Thanks sweetheart, now remember, when the engagement commences, remain in a defensive location behind your father and I. Lord Dellyn may not be concerned with our somatic welfare on this quest, but you're too important to us to get hurt again."
At this, the door on the other side of the room slid open with a heavy rumble, revealing a long dark passageway beyond.
"Well, this is it. Let's go."
________________
In this universe, Saral Caine and the Goblinslayer never met, as unlike most realities, where Saral's mother was killed stealing an adventurer's coinpurse, here she succeeded. Thus, young Saral was brought up in relative luxury, while Dellyn remained a street rat. So, the two never shared their tough upbringing, and Dellyn was never taught to fight. Years later, Saral founded the Elites at the same time as Reality #156, and had the political leader's of Brassmoon assassinated. After the Goblins broke in to rescue Fumbles, and Big Ears killed Saral, his machinations came to light, and Dellyn, popular among the common folk, was the leading figure in having the monsters released from the secret dungeons beneath the city and integrated into Brassmoon society. Dellyn was eventually appointed as the new mayor. Here, this reality's group enter the story. Scrole, Kin and Ora were imprisoned in the same cell, where the Yuan-Ti and the hobgoblin took the young orc under their wings and adopted her, forming a small, slightly odd family unit. During this time, Scrole took the majority of the punishment for his surrogate wife and child, receiving similar scars to the Scrole of our reality, but culminating in Saral cutting off his hands. In this reality, the Blue Orb of Bloodlight was in Brassmoon at the time of the Battle of Wonder, and part of its magic was imbued into the stone in the place of the Talking Wall. Scrole was playing near there with his daughter one day when her natural healing abilities activated, drawing on the magic laying latent in the stone, and restored Scrole's hands as ones of flowing magical energy. Having no professions to speak of, the Silkscale Yuan-Ti having been wiped out when Kin was a child, and Scrole being unable to find work among the humans because of his horribly scarred face, the two apparent parents took this as a sign and took class levels, Kin as a rogue and Scrole as a wizard, in order to help their child's magic develop. Six years after this, the family had carved out a niche for themselves as a moderately famous and successful adventuring group. Scrole was now a 7th level wizard, Kin a 5th level rogue, with prestige class levels in Assassin, and Ora a 3rd level cleric. The family was called upon by Lord Dellyn to retrieve the Glove of Anaktar, a powerful magic item used by the rulers of Brassmoon in the ancient past to prevent devastating floods that had returned in recent years, ruining the city's crops. The Glove is another item in the Treasure Room of the Maze of Many. They abandoned their current mission, to escort a Kobold noble named Takn across country to attend a trade pact, in order to travel to the Maze, but Takn, uninterested, had derided the team's wish to stop the starvation of the people of Brassmoon, leading Scrole to forcibly remove him from their camp.
In this reality, Forgath and Minmax found the Anymug in the Poorly Locked Chest, and used it to create the famously successful ForMax Dwarvern Stew Company, which has franchises all over the realm. Minmax is richer than the King of Everything that Exists, and Forgath pays a full time lackey to listen to the stupid things Minmax says.
The GAP, less Complains who was killed in the battle with Kore, entered the Depths of Dragon's Maw and were never seen again, (although there were rumours that a sorceror had been experimenting with time manipulation spells in there), and Cryptic Fall lore states that their last Chief will return one day when his clan needs him most.
- WearsHats
- Global Moderator
- Posts: 7384
- UStream Username: WearsHats
- Location: Third star to the left, and straight on until midafternoon.
Entry 7
ENTRY 7:
Reality 29 -
As Thaco the Monk leapt towards Dellyn, the ranger stiffened his stance, ready to counter attack as soon as the orange pest landed. Fate, however had deemed that such plans were inefficient and instead of landing on the Goblinslayer's chest as planned, Thaco sailed past the ranger falling onto a broken pipe. Neatly impaled, the goblin was at -10 before either combatant had realized what had happened. Dellyn quickly took his trophy and headed back toward a grate that would allow him to rejoin the battle in the courtyard.
____________________________________________
As Dellyn Goblinslayer, hero of Brassmoon City approached the courtyard, he had to stop and stare in wonder. The battle that had taken place was obviously magical in nature. Purple lightning charred the ground as various members of his elite guards fought for their lives against all forms of monstrosities. The most jarring was a large orange demon, it's claws soaked with the blood of various creatures, but currently he was observing the chaos with a grin and a snack.
Complains straightened as he felt the thud against his newly winged back. He quickly discarded the yellow goblin he had been gnawing on and turned. The first thing he noticed was the approaching Goblinslayer; the second, his father's head rolling on the ground. Anger welled up in the demon's chest as he recalled his plans to torment the old goblin with the knowledge that his only offspring was now hell spawn and the delights now denied him by the mockery of a hero now approaching him.
Dellyn had fought a demon before, but it had been with Saral Cain's help that he had been able to win. This demon had too many goblinoid features for him to ignore and probably came with Thaco meaning it had likely taken into the same perversion that the goblin had. His theory gained credibility as the demon howled in anger and it's entire body bulged in a purple aura. Dellyn had seen many creatures rage, but had never felt a primal fear as he did now.
Complains grabbed the first weapon in reach and threw it at the human. Years of training allowed Dellyn to get his enchanted sword up just in time to intercept Cain's axe as it came flying towards him. Enhanced demonic strength and an even stronger enchantment allowed the axe to fly through said sword and deep into Dellyn's chest. He fell backwards into the darkness, his last thought wondering what "Tu Dae Death" meant.____________________________________________
A few days later, Forgrath and Minmax entered the newly named city of Demon Start and quickly realized that the name wasn't the only recent change. They had been detained at the gate and ordered to disarm before being allowed into the town. Once inside they were quickly pressed into slave labor by the recommissioned elite guard. Being low-level adventurers, the guard quickly passed the new prisoners on to their supreme ruler known only as Complains.
Complains looked over his new toys with appreciation, Maglubiyet had smiled on him a lot lately. Not only were many of the freed monsters willing to take up residence in his city paying homage to him and he had found a playmate to assist with Dellyn's daily "play time", but even old enemies had started arriving on his doorstep.
"Look what the guards dragged in. If it isn't my old friends, the dwarf and the contradiction for a name. I think my first joy will be teaching you to answer to Baldy and Beardy."
Recognition dawned on the two adventurers as the demon approached. Minmax touched his scarred face remembering the battle that had led to it. The bald adventurer looked at the orange monster and smiled. "You're new to this whole demon thing, right?"
Complains continued towards his captives and smiled, "Yeah, you'd think there'd be more to it than tearing mortals apart and doing anything I want with them."
Minmax waited until the Demon was close before replying, "Next time you should read the rules or something. Complains of Names, release us and then don't move."
____________________________________________
The pair of adventurers and their pet demon spent little time restoring Brassmoon City and destroying all the monsters that had subjugated the humans living there. They then set off on another perilous adventure, as legends are expected. A dungeon crawl that one of the monsters had mentioned full of loot, experience and a place for Forgath to dispose of the evil axe he had found.
Reality 29 -
As Thaco the Monk leapt towards Dellyn, the ranger stiffened his stance, ready to counter attack as soon as the orange pest landed. Fate, however had deemed that such plans were inefficient and instead of landing on the Goblinslayer's chest as planned, Thaco sailed past the ranger falling onto a broken pipe. Neatly impaled, the goblin was at -10 before either combatant had realized what had happened. Dellyn quickly took his trophy and headed back toward a grate that would allow him to rejoin the battle in the courtyard.
____________________________________________
As Dellyn Goblinslayer, hero of Brassmoon City approached the courtyard, he had to stop and stare in wonder. The battle that had taken place was obviously magical in nature. Purple lightning charred the ground as various members of his elite guards fought for their lives against all forms of monstrosities. The most jarring was a large orange demon, it's claws soaked with the blood of various creatures, but currently he was observing the chaos with a grin and a snack.
Complains straightened as he felt the thud against his newly winged back. He quickly discarded the yellow goblin he had been gnawing on and turned. The first thing he noticed was the approaching Goblinslayer; the second, his father's head rolling on the ground. Anger welled up in the demon's chest as he recalled his plans to torment the old goblin with the knowledge that his only offspring was now hell spawn and the delights now denied him by the mockery of a hero now approaching him.
Dellyn had fought a demon before, but it had been with Saral Cain's help that he had been able to win. This demon had too many goblinoid features for him to ignore and probably came with Thaco meaning it had likely taken into the same perversion that the goblin had. His theory gained credibility as the demon howled in anger and it's entire body bulged in a purple aura. Dellyn had seen many creatures rage, but had never felt a primal fear as he did now.
Complains grabbed the first weapon in reach and threw it at the human. Years of training allowed Dellyn to get his enchanted sword up just in time to intercept Cain's axe as it came flying towards him. Enhanced demonic strength and an even stronger enchantment allowed the axe to fly through said sword and deep into Dellyn's chest. He fell backwards into the darkness, his last thought wondering what "Tu Dae Death" meant.____________________________________________
A few days later, Forgrath and Minmax entered the newly named city of Demon Start and quickly realized that the name wasn't the only recent change. They had been detained at the gate and ordered to disarm before being allowed into the town. Once inside they were quickly pressed into slave labor by the recommissioned elite guard. Being low-level adventurers, the guard quickly passed the new prisoners on to their supreme ruler known only as Complains.
Complains looked over his new toys with appreciation, Maglubiyet had smiled on him a lot lately. Not only were many of the freed monsters willing to take up residence in his city paying homage to him and he had found a playmate to assist with Dellyn's daily "play time", but even old enemies had started arriving on his doorstep.
"Look what the guards dragged in. If it isn't my old friends, the dwarf and the contradiction for a name. I think my first joy will be teaching you to answer to Baldy and Beardy."
Recognition dawned on the two adventurers as the demon approached. Minmax touched his scarred face remembering the battle that had led to it. The bald adventurer looked at the orange monster and smiled. "You're new to this whole demon thing, right?"
Complains continued towards his captives and smiled, "Yeah, you'd think there'd be more to it than tearing mortals apart and doing anything I want with them."
Minmax waited until the Demon was close before replying, "Next time you should read the rules or something. Complains of Names, release us and then don't move."
____________________________________________
The pair of adventurers and their pet demon spent little time restoring Brassmoon City and destroying all the monsters that had subjugated the humans living there. They then set off on another perilous adventure, as legends are expected. A dungeon crawl that one of the monsters had mentioned full of loot, experience and a place for Forgath to dispose of the evil axe he had found.
- WearsHats
- Global Moderator
- Posts: 7384
- UStream Username: WearsHats
- Location: Third star to the left, and straight on until midafternoon.
Entry 8
ENTRY 8:
A Name To Be Remembered By
Reality #5466
Strange, how it all ends. In the last moments of my life, I see clearly for the first time. I see why it all went wrong. How it's my fault.
These goblins, under my charge, were meant to be great. They would pave a new road to the future for all of goblinkind. I saw their futures, and sought to give them names appropriate for their coming glory: names worthy of being remembered by.
Makes A Sacrifice was the first to fall victim to my misguided choices. He was meant to one day make the ultimate sacrifice to protect the goblins under his leadership from a foe they were not ready to face. But in his attempts to live up to his name, he needlessly put himself in danger where cowardice was supposed to save him. Years before he was meant to fall to Kore, he fell to a bumbling half-elf in her first encounter.
The next to fall was Survives. Literally. He took to death-defying feats and threw himself off a waterfall and to his untimely end well before he made it to Brassmoon City, where the torture he was supposed to survive and overcome was to happen.
Shows Great Courage died, ironically, a coward's death. He took on an entire adventuring party himself, and met his end begging for mercy that did not come.
Protects Friends was unanimously voted to be the new chief after Makes A Sacrifice died, against my wishes. Protects never left to adventure. He never obtained the Axe of Prissan and kept its evil from escaping. We hear stories, from time to time, of what happened to Brassmoon. No one goes that way anymore.
Thaco died of old age. He should have gone adventuring. He should have been the new chief, not Protects. No one would listen to me at this point. I was the worst seer a goblin warcamp had ever had. There was nothing I could do.
Takes Initiative was the one who finished me. He had always loudly complained that my names were largely inaccurate and the clan was suffering under my guidance and advice. He blamed me for the deaths of his friends, for the clan's decline, and for his own unhappiness. I suppose it is fitting that instead of following his destiny and using the magic items in the poorly locked chest, he lived up to his name by ending my life, so that the clan could be free from my influence.
As I lay here, my hit points dropping steadily into the negatives, with no hope of stabilizing, I can see that Takes Initiative was right about me. I named them for how great they would become and by doing so, made them unable to achieve that greatness. I undermined their fates. I rewrote what was to be for the sake of a name worth being remembered by. That was my folly. My punishment is well-deserved. I can only hope that no other seer ever follÔÇö
-fin-
A Name To Be Remembered By
Reality #5466
Strange, how it all ends. In the last moments of my life, I see clearly for the first time. I see why it all went wrong. How it's my fault.
These goblins, under my charge, were meant to be great. They would pave a new road to the future for all of goblinkind. I saw their futures, and sought to give them names appropriate for their coming glory: names worthy of being remembered by.
Makes A Sacrifice was the first to fall victim to my misguided choices. He was meant to one day make the ultimate sacrifice to protect the goblins under his leadership from a foe they were not ready to face. But in his attempts to live up to his name, he needlessly put himself in danger where cowardice was supposed to save him. Years before he was meant to fall to Kore, he fell to a bumbling half-elf in her first encounter.
The next to fall was Survives. Literally. He took to death-defying feats and threw himself off a waterfall and to his untimely end well before he made it to Brassmoon City, where the torture he was supposed to survive and overcome was to happen.
Shows Great Courage died, ironically, a coward's death. He took on an entire adventuring party himself, and met his end begging for mercy that did not come.
Protects Friends was unanimously voted to be the new chief after Makes A Sacrifice died, against my wishes. Protects never left to adventure. He never obtained the Axe of Prissan and kept its evil from escaping. We hear stories, from time to time, of what happened to Brassmoon. No one goes that way anymore.
Thaco died of old age. He should have gone adventuring. He should have been the new chief, not Protects. No one would listen to me at this point. I was the worst seer a goblin warcamp had ever had. There was nothing I could do.
Takes Initiative was the one who finished me. He had always loudly complained that my names were largely inaccurate and the clan was suffering under my guidance and advice. He blamed me for the deaths of his friends, for the clan's decline, and for his own unhappiness. I suppose it is fitting that instead of following his destiny and using the magic items in the poorly locked chest, he lived up to his name by ending my life, so that the clan could be free from my influence.
As I lay here, my hit points dropping steadily into the negatives, with no hope of stabilizing, I can see that Takes Initiative was right about me. I named them for how great they would become and by doing so, made them unable to achieve that greatness. I undermined their fates. I rewrote what was to be for the sake of a name worth being remembered by. That was my folly. My punishment is well-deserved. I can only hope that no other seer ever follÔÇö
-fin-
- WearsHats
- Global Moderator
- Posts: 7384
- UStream Username: WearsHats
- Location: Third star to the left, and straight on until midafternoon.
Entry 9
ENTRY 9
In reality 248 there is no good or bad, and no laws. Nature has took over the world after a mad druid got his hand on a strong artifact, which can give one the power of a god. The druid became the nature itself, changing the world completely. Nature was no longer natural, but chaotic. Destroying almost every single man-made thing. But it was not enough. MinMax decided he wants to stop it, he somehow convinced Forgath to follow him in this suicidal quest. MinMax and Forgath had no chance in the fight and the druid cursed Minmax and Forgath. Minmax slowly turns into a tree and back to a person every day. He wakes up as a human, but during the day he slowly turns into a tree, and when the sun falls he is completely a tree. At night the same happens and he turns into a human by morning. Forgath has became a wooden mace which can talk, and Minmax uses him as his weapon.
In this reality, Yuan-Ti have a root instead of a tail, and they must "root" themselves for a few hours a day to live. Therefor, Kin is left outside the MoM.
In reality 248 there is no good or bad, and no laws. Nature has took over the world after a mad druid got his hand on a strong artifact, which can give one the power of a god. The druid became the nature itself, changing the world completely. Nature was no longer natural, but chaotic. Destroying almost every single man-made thing. But it was not enough. MinMax decided he wants to stop it, he somehow convinced Forgath to follow him in this suicidal quest. MinMax and Forgath had no chance in the fight and the druid cursed Minmax and Forgath. Minmax slowly turns into a tree and back to a person every day. He wakes up as a human, but during the day he slowly turns into a tree, and when the sun falls he is completely a tree. At night the same happens and he turns into a human by morning. Forgath has became a wooden mace which can talk, and Minmax uses him as his weapon.
In this reality, Yuan-Ti have a root instead of a tail, and they must "root" themselves for a few hours a day to live. Therefor, Kin is left outside the MoM.
- WearsHats
- Global Moderator
- Posts: 7384
- UStream Username: WearsHats
- Location: Third star to the left, and straight on until midafternoon.
Entry 10
ENTRY 10:
Somehow it's not about an Alternative Character, but about an Alternative Herbert...
I did not like where this was going.
I knew about this dungeon.
And I knew my group of players would survive it.
Every group did.
Not all players or characters, but every group.
What I did not like, was that this dungeon would magically link me to my alternatives in the other universes.
My task was to get my players out as soon as possible, before I loose my mind.
As an IM, I would remember every run, or so the new "magical IM-handbook" tells me.
I found it three weeks ago, amidst my stack of "I&I"-books. (Y'know, the "Icecaves and Icesnakes" series.)
I cannot remember who gave it to me though...
Anyway, one Player in one of my groups needs the Jade Teapot for her character, and has fixed her mind on it.
And somehow she learned about the Maze of Many.
And she knew enough that the group understood that they could fail, but that the Maze resets itself to the point in time where the group has entered and would run again. And they knew they would remember only the last run of the MoM.
So, she convinced my favourite group to accept her and go for the MoM, as success was guaranteed, as long as they would intentionally fail if even one of them got seriously hurt.
Easy convincing any group of players to play the MoM.
So, I had to play it. Denying it would make me a bad IM. And I am the best, even if I work only part-time for IceBucks. But exactly that makes me the best IM. I have the time to prepare so much more than anyone else!
So, the MoM will be easy for my group, but it will be hard for me, as for all my alternative Herbert-DMs would be there trying to make their group succeed.
And I do not know anything about my alternatives.
And I hate having variables in my games which I cannot get under control by changing things.
But that is the thing about the MoM: (I'll cite from the "magical IM Handbook" here:)
Your final trophy! Your final match!
With the MoM you can prove that You are the best IM!
The players will decide their actions, based on your guidance.
You will not be able to influence the actions inside the MoM.
The outcome of the actions is magically transmitted to all IM's, and you can then your players what their actions caused, and then describe them everything they need to know to make their next decision. Only by our storytelling will you be able to influence the MoM. Your storytelling decides how the group will fare. Not any decisions made behind your screen, not any sudden "random encounters" you can throw in their way....
Are you the best IcecaveMaster in the multiverse?
From a few basic thoughts it is clear that our past actions will influence the MoM:
Has one of my alternatives fixed a name for "Not-Walter" before the time was come to use the demon for a plot point? So that his players actually could guess the name? OR did they somehow talk him into giving away "Not-Walter"'s name? Will any of the alternative groups bring "Not-Walter"?
Do I have alternatives which allowed the players to level up far above average (and are my players therefore outlevelled?)
And were all of my alternatives sane?
During research I've heard rumours about one IM having lost his mind, and actually speaking some weird language very now and then (and actually one which nuances get lost when spoken in water!), but not understanding anything else.
I, Herbert the IcecaveMaster, am afraid to loose my mind.
I know I am mentally not among the strongest of us, but I considered myself as being within the top ten percent.
But compared to what could be out there, Europa is a nice moon to live.
Imagine if anything evolved on the gas giant around which Europa circles.
That giant ball of atmosphere must be such a difficult place to live, that the Herberts there surely are much stronger.
And hungrier for power, I suppose.
Anyway.
It's time to start the game.
MinMax even came with his MM badge again.
(snip in picture of Icemax, http://www.goblinscomic.org/comics/20130617.jpg last panel - sorry, sending .jpg or .txt as an extension is not allowed. Even removing any extension gives the error message "The extension is not allowed.")
(A few thousand iterations of the MoM later)
How could this have happened? About 300.000 runs already?
I made my players try successful things always again, but the MoM always changes one single thing in every run. Something which went tremendously well for my group every time suddenly fails completely in that specific run.
And somehow, the Maze always resets just before I can understand what has happened.
And this time around, nothing changes its behaviour. Everything is as it has been in countless runs before (except the one run where this specific incident went wrong).
Yet, the whole fabric of the MoM feels wrong. Somehow as if something drains its energy.
It does not make sense.
And in every encounter his group made, my alternatives seem to have experienced the same.
One (apparently even from this solar system, how weird is that? And apparently from the incredibly unlikely to be inhabitable 3rd planet (far too hot, not enough ice to shield from radiation, and too much land mass)) observed, that it seems like someone was making all alternatives run through the maze as if they were "rats" (what is a "rats"?) and test their behaviour, and that this someone seems to be finished testing everyone in the MoM.
It all makes no sense.
And then these weird white spaces appeared.
Luckily, my IM-status does allow me to remember what my group lost. IceMax's snorkel and flippers. Now I have to look at his bare feet. Ugh. How indecent.
And one player is missing. (Besides Kin, she's always melting away when she's not immersed in water - apparently her previous IM allowed the other players to enslave her; she once tried to let her character escape via the surface of our little moon - so that dimwit of Hole-in-the-Ice-IM allowed the powerhungry players to attach a magical leash to Kin). Who knew the MoM would be consisting of dry land!!??!!
It seems like the MoM is in its final run. No resets afterwards for anyone. And eternal limbo for the IcecaveMasters of everyone currently in the MoM.
I have to get my MinMax out in this run.
Somehow.
Somehow it's not about an Alternative Character, but about an Alternative Herbert...
I did not like where this was going.
I knew about this dungeon.
And I knew my group of players would survive it.
Every group did.
Not all players or characters, but every group.
What I did not like, was that this dungeon would magically link me to my alternatives in the other universes.
My task was to get my players out as soon as possible, before I loose my mind.
As an IM, I would remember every run, or so the new "magical IM-handbook" tells me.
I found it three weeks ago, amidst my stack of "I&I"-books. (Y'know, the "Icecaves and Icesnakes" series.)
I cannot remember who gave it to me though...
Anyway, one Player in one of my groups needs the Jade Teapot for her character, and has fixed her mind on it.
And somehow she learned about the Maze of Many.
And she knew enough that the group understood that they could fail, but that the Maze resets itself to the point in time where the group has entered and would run again. And they knew they would remember only the last run of the MoM.
So, she convinced my favourite group to accept her and go for the MoM, as success was guaranteed, as long as they would intentionally fail if even one of them got seriously hurt.
Easy convincing any group of players to play the MoM.
So, I had to play it. Denying it would make me a bad IM. And I am the best, even if I work only part-time for IceBucks. But exactly that makes me the best IM. I have the time to prepare so much more than anyone else!
So, the MoM will be easy for my group, but it will be hard for me, as for all my alternative Herbert-DMs would be there trying to make their group succeed.
And I do not know anything about my alternatives.
And I hate having variables in my games which I cannot get under control by changing things.
But that is the thing about the MoM: (I'll cite from the "magical IM Handbook" here:)
Your final trophy! Your final match!
With the MoM you can prove that You are the best IM!
The players will decide their actions, based on your guidance.
You will not be able to influence the actions inside the MoM.
The outcome of the actions is magically transmitted to all IM's, and you can then your players what their actions caused, and then describe them everything they need to know to make their next decision. Only by our storytelling will you be able to influence the MoM. Your storytelling decides how the group will fare. Not any decisions made behind your screen, not any sudden "random encounters" you can throw in their way....
Are you the best IcecaveMaster in the multiverse?
From a few basic thoughts it is clear that our past actions will influence the MoM:
Has one of my alternatives fixed a name for "Not-Walter" before the time was come to use the demon for a plot point? So that his players actually could guess the name? OR did they somehow talk him into giving away "Not-Walter"'s name? Will any of the alternative groups bring "Not-Walter"?
Do I have alternatives which allowed the players to level up far above average (and are my players therefore outlevelled?)
And were all of my alternatives sane?
During research I've heard rumours about one IM having lost his mind, and actually speaking some weird language very now and then (and actually one which nuances get lost when spoken in water!), but not understanding anything else.
I, Herbert the IcecaveMaster, am afraid to loose my mind.
I know I am mentally not among the strongest of us, but I considered myself as being within the top ten percent.
But compared to what could be out there, Europa is a nice moon to live.
Imagine if anything evolved on the gas giant around which Europa circles.
That giant ball of atmosphere must be such a difficult place to live, that the Herberts there surely are much stronger.
And hungrier for power, I suppose.
Anyway.
It's time to start the game.
MinMax even came with his MM badge again.
(snip in picture of Icemax, http://www.goblinscomic.org/comics/20130617.jpg last panel - sorry, sending .jpg or .txt as an extension is not allowed. Even removing any extension gives the error message "The extension is not allowed.")
(A few thousand iterations of the MoM later)
How could this have happened? About 300.000 runs already?
I made my players try successful things always again, but the MoM always changes one single thing in every run. Something which went tremendously well for my group every time suddenly fails completely in that specific run.
And somehow, the Maze always resets just before I can understand what has happened.
And this time around, nothing changes its behaviour. Everything is as it has been in countless runs before (except the one run where this specific incident went wrong).
Yet, the whole fabric of the MoM feels wrong. Somehow as if something drains its energy.
It does not make sense.
And in every encounter his group made, my alternatives seem to have experienced the same.
One (apparently even from this solar system, how weird is that? And apparently from the incredibly unlikely to be inhabitable 3rd planet (far too hot, not enough ice to shield from radiation, and too much land mass)) observed, that it seems like someone was making all alternatives run through the maze as if they were "rats" (what is a "rats"?) and test their behaviour, and that this someone seems to be finished testing everyone in the MoM.
It all makes no sense.
And then these weird white spaces appeared.
Luckily, my IM-status does allow me to remember what my group lost. IceMax's snorkel and flippers. Now I have to look at his bare feet. Ugh. How indecent.
And one player is missing. (Besides Kin, she's always melting away when she's not immersed in water - apparently her previous IM allowed the other players to enslave her; she once tried to let her character escape via the surface of our little moon - so that dimwit of Hole-in-the-Ice-IM allowed the powerhungry players to attach a magical leash to Kin). Who knew the MoM would be consisting of dry land!!??!!
It seems like the MoM is in its final run. No resets afterwards for anyone. And eternal limbo for the IcecaveMasters of everyone currently in the MoM.
I have to get my MinMax out in this run.
Somehow.
- LAYF
- Discussion Moderator
- Posts: 7100
- Location: 5 degrees to the north of the first point on the last square!
- Contact:
Re: Alternate Realities Contest: Entries & Voting Here!
WearsHats wrote:Entries will be posted below. Please read/view each one, then vote for your two favorites. Voting is open for the next 48 hours, until 1am US Eastern time Thursday morning (or late Wednesday night, depending on how you look at it).
There is one additional entry which was written but unable to be submitted due to technical difficulties. If I get it in the next few hours I'll add it in.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the contest!
Quick question... do you want votes by PM to keep them secret till all ere in, or by post....? As... open posts can sway the result....
-Best regards LAYF
- WearsHats
- Global Moderator
- Posts: 7384
- UStream Username: WearsHats
- Location: Third star to the left, and straight on until midafternoon.
Re: Alternate Realities Contest: Entries & Voting Here!
Here should be fine. Vote for your favorites, and try not to let anyone else influence you (whether that means joining the crowd or rooting for the underdog).
Mostly offline/inactive due to chronic health issues. PM me if you really need attention.
"(Asks), why do you want to shoot all of my favorite animals out of guns?" - JibJib
Some potentially informative links, should you be interested:
"(Asks), why do you want to shoot all of my favorite animals out of guns?" - JibJib
Some potentially informative links, should you be interested:
► Show Spoiler
- LAYF
- Discussion Moderator
- Posts: 7100
- Location: 5 degrees to the north of the first point on the last square!
- Contact:
Re: Alternate Realities Contest: Entries & Voting Here!
Okay ![Happy :)](./images/smilies/th_smil454d5db651143.gif)
Votes:
1 )
2 )
3 )
4 )
5 )
6 ) - 1 (LAYF)
7 ) - 1 (LAYF)
8 )
9 )
10 )
11 )
![Happy :)](./images/smilies/th_smil454d5db651143.gif)
Votes:
1 )
2 )
3 )
4 )
5 )
6 ) - 1 (LAYF)
7 ) - 1 (LAYF)
8 )
9 )
10 )
11 )
-Best regards LAYF
- RidcullyJack
- Indulges in Conversation
- Posts: 824
- Location: New Zealand
Re: Alternate Realities Contest: Entries & Voting Here!
Votes:
1 ) - 1 (RJack)
2 )
3 )
4 )
5 )
6 ) - 2 (LAYF, RJack)
7 ) - 1 (LAYF)
8 )
9 )
10 )
11 )
1 ) - 1 (RJack)
2 )
3 )
4 )
5 )
6 ) - 2 (LAYF, RJack)
7 ) - 1 (LAYF)
8 )
9 )
10 )
11 )
pink - grey - blue - pink - red - green - yellow - white - black - blue - purple - green - orange - yellow - dark grey - green - yellow - green - white - green - white - turquoise - gold
-
- Discussion Moderator
- Posts: 4575
- Location: Ó▓á_Ó▓á
Re: Alternate Realities Contest: Entries & Voting Here!
Votes:
1 ) - 2 (RJack, nikohl)
2 )
3 )
4 )
5 )
6 ) - 2 (LAYF, RJack)
7 ) - 1 (LAYF)
8 ) - 1 (nikohl)
9 )
10 )
11 )
1 ) - 2 (RJack, nikohl)
2 )
3 )
4 )
5 )
6 ) - 2 (LAYF, RJack)
7 ) - 1 (LAYF)
8 ) - 1 (nikohl)
9 )
10 )
11 )
- granite_grizz
- Remains Silent
- Posts: 3
Re: Alternate Realities Contest: Entries & Voting Here!
1 ) - 2 (RJack, nikohl)
2 )
3 )
4 )
5 )
6 ) - 2 (LAYF, RJack)
7 ) - 2 (LAYF, Grizz)
8 ) - 2 (nikohl, Grizz)
9 )
10 )
11 )
2 )
3 )
4 )
5 )
6 ) - 2 (LAYF, RJack)
7 ) - 2 (LAYF, Grizz)
8 ) - 2 (nikohl, Grizz)
9 )
10 )
11 )
- ThroughTheWell
- .
- Posts: 1045
Re: Alternate Realities Contest: Entries & Voting Here!
1 ) - 2 (RJack, nikohl)
2 )
3 )
4 )
5 )
6 ) - 2 (LAYF, RJack)
7 ) - 2 (LAYF, Grizz)
8 ) - 2 (nikohl, Grizz)
9 )
10 ) - 1 (TTW)
2 )
3 )
4 )
5 )
6 ) - 2 (LAYF, RJack)
7 ) - 2 (LAYF, Grizz)
8 ) - 2 (nikohl, Grizz)
9 )
10 ) - 1 (TTW)
I survived the forum move 4 times... yeah, I feel old.
- Krulle
- Transcribes Goblins
- Posts: 8119
- Contact:
Re: Alternate Realities Contest: Entries & Voting Here!
1 ) *2 (RJack, nikohl)
2 )
3 )
4 )
5 )
6 ) *2 (LAYF, RJack)
7 ) *3 (LAYF, Grizz, Krulle)
8) *3 (nikohl, Grizz, Krulle)
9 )
10 ) *1 (TTW)
I need more votes. Can I create more accounts and double-vote?
2 )
3 )
4 )
5 )
6 ) *2 (LAYF, RJack)
7 ) *3 (LAYF, Grizz, Krulle)
8) *3 (nikohl, Grizz, Krulle)
9 )
10 ) *1 (TTW)
► Show Spoiler
Last edited by Krulle on Tue Jun 25, 2013 1:37 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Goblinscomic transcriptions
Collection of G:AR cards
Collection of G:AR cards
STAR CONTROL: The Ur-Quan Masters finally gets a continuation of the story!
![Image](https://www.kicktraq.com/projects/pistolshrimp/free-stars-children-of-infinity/minichart.png)
(sorry for spamming, will amend signature again when Kickstarter has ended, or many complain about my signature)
- WearsHats
- Global Moderator
- Posts: 7384
- UStream Username: WearsHats
- Location: Third star to the left, and straight on until midafternoon.
Re: Alternate Realities Contest: Entries & Voting Here!
Krulle,
I'm to blame for the entry line above the divider in Entry 10. It wasn't clear to me from the entrant's message whether it was supposed to be there to set the scene or whether it was part of the contestant's message to me. I probably should have double checked on that.
But voting is up to each person, and their own individual tastes and reasons. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
In any case, thank you very much for linking this thread in your sig and promoting it elsewhere on the boards.
I'm to blame for the entry line above the divider in Entry 10. It wasn't clear to me from the entrant's message whether it was supposed to be there to set the scene or whether it was part of the contestant's message to me. I probably should have double checked on that.
► Show Spoiler
In any case, thank you very much for linking this thread in your sig and promoting it elsewhere on the boards.
Mostly offline/inactive due to chronic health issues. PM me if you really need attention.
"(Asks), why do you want to shoot all of my favorite animals out of guns?" - JibJib
Some potentially informative links, should you be interested:
"(Asks), why do you want to shoot all of my favorite animals out of guns?" - JibJib
Some potentially informative links, should you be interested:
► Show Spoiler
- T-RexWithTourettes
- Gives Speeches
- Posts: 1062
- UStream Username: TrexWithTourettes
- Location: Wilmy
Re: Alternate Realities Contest: Entries & Voting Here!
1 ) *2 (RJack, nikohl, T-Rex)
2 )
3 )
4 )
5 )
6 ) *2 (LAYF, RJack)
7 ) *4 (LAYF, Grizz, Krulle, T-Rex)
8 ) *3 (nikohl, Grizz, Krulle)
9 )
10 ) *1 (TTW)
Great job, writers! You all gave me a hard time choosing what to vote for
(which is a good thing, I'm saying a lot were fabulous)
2 )
3 )
4 )
5 )
6 ) *2 (LAYF, RJack)
7 ) *4 (LAYF, Grizz, Krulle, T-Rex)
8 ) *3 (nikohl, Grizz, Krulle)
9 )
10 ) *1 (TTW)
Great job, writers! You all gave me a hard time choosing what to vote for
![Happy :)](./images/smilies/th_smil454d5db651143.gif)
I am high in fructose.
- SamWiser
- Extensively Logorrheic
- Posts: 7225
Re: Alternate Realities Contest: Entries & Voting Here!
1 ) *2 (RJack, nikohl)
2 )
3 )
4 )
5 )*1 (Sam)
6 ) *2 (LAYF, RJack)
7 ) *3 (LAYF, Grizz, Krulle)
8 ) *3 (nikohl, Grizz, Krulle)
9 )
10 ) *2 (TTW, Sam)
2 )
3 )
4 )
5 )*1 (Sam)
6 ) *2 (LAYF, RJack)
7 ) *3 (LAYF, Grizz, Krulle)
8 ) *3 (nikohl, Grizz, Krulle)
9 )
10 ) *2 (TTW, Sam)
Thanks to Arch Lich Burns for the avatar, and Mnementh for the mustache.
ÔÇ£Shoot the dictator and prevent the war? But the dictator is merely the tip of the whole festering boil of social pus from which dictators emerge; shoot him and there'll be another one along in a minute. Shoot him too? Why not shoot everyone and invade Poland?ÔÇØ
ÔÇò Terry Pratchett
ÔÇ£Shoot the dictator and prevent the war? But the dictator is merely the tip of the whole festering boil of social pus from which dictators emerge; shoot him and there'll be another one along in a minute. Shoot him too? Why not shoot everyone and invade Poland?ÔÇØ
ÔÇò Terry Pratchett
- WearsHats
- Global Moderator
- Posts: 7384
- UStream Username: WearsHats
- Location: Third star to the left, and straight on until midafternoon.
Re: Alternate Realities Contest: Entries & Voting Here!
Correcting vote totals:
1 ) *3 (RJack, nikohl, T-Rex)
2 )
3 )
4 )
5 )*1 (Sam)
6 ) *2 (LAYF, RJack)
7 ) *4 (LAYF, Grizz, Krulle, T-Rex)
8 ) *3 (nikohl, Grizz, Krulle)
9 )
10 ) *2 (TTW, Sam)
1 ) *3 (RJack, nikohl, T-Rex)
2 )
3 )
4 )
5 )*1 (Sam)
6 ) *2 (LAYF, RJack)
7 ) *4 (LAYF, Grizz, Krulle, T-Rex)
8 ) *3 (nikohl, Grizz, Krulle)
9 )
10 ) *2 (TTW, Sam)
Mostly offline/inactive due to chronic health issues. PM me if you really need attention.
"(Asks), why do you want to shoot all of my favorite animals out of guns?" - JibJib
Some potentially informative links, should you be interested:
"(Asks), why do you want to shoot all of my favorite animals out of guns?" - JibJib
Some potentially informative links, should you be interested:
► Show Spoiler
- friedkitty
- Voices Opinions
- Posts: 492
Re: Alternate Realities Contest: Entries & Voting Here!
1 ) *3 (RJack, nikohl, T-Rex)
2 )
3 )
4 )*1 (FK)
5 )*1 (Sam)
6 ) *2 (LAYF, RJack)
7 ) *5 (LAYF, Grizz, Krulle, T-Rex, FK)
8 ) *3 (nikohl, Grizz, Krulle)
9 )
10 ) *2 (TTW, Sam)
I really liked 4. I could visualize everything that was being described, and it was truly an alternate reality. I could see a whole crossover comic with mechs and D&D combined.
2 )
3 )
4 )*1 (FK)
5 )*1 (Sam)
6 ) *2 (LAYF, RJack)
7 ) *5 (LAYF, Grizz, Krulle, T-Rex, FK)
8 ) *3 (nikohl, Grizz, Krulle)
9 )
10 ) *2 (TTW, Sam)
I really liked 4. I could visualize everything that was being described, and it was truly an alternate reality. I could see a whole crossover comic with mechs and D&D combined.
- HennaGaijin
- Of Few Words
- Posts: 66
- Location: Kyoto
Re: Alternate Realities Contest: Entries & Voting Here!
1 ) - 3 (RJack, nikohl, T-Rex)
2 )
3 )
4 ) - 1 (FK)
5 ) - 1 (Sam)
6 ) - 2 (LAYF, RJack)
7 ) - 5 (LAYF, Grizz, Krulle, T-Rex, FK, HG)
8 ) - 3 (nikohl, Grizz, Krulle, HG)
9 )
10 ) - 2 (TTW, Sam)
2 )
3 )
4 ) - 1 (FK)
5 ) - 1 (Sam)
6 ) - 2 (LAYF, RJack)
7 ) - 5 (LAYF, Grizz, Krulle, T-Rex, FK, HG)
8 ) - 3 (nikohl, Grizz, Krulle, HG)
9 )
10 ) - 2 (TTW, Sam)
► Show Spoiler
*Insert witty signature here*