13th Age: Rob Hall's Kal'Thasar

One of the players of my Tales of the 13th Age (Inquest) game, the amazing Rob Hall of the Pumpkin Society and Zero Fortitude, was kind enough to make a guest post about his character's One Unique Thing.

Without further ado.

I am Dal’Thorin and I am the last survivor of Kal’Thasar.

The look of confusion upon your countenance is something to which I have grown accustomed. Very few outside of the Elf Queen’s inner circle knew of my home. It was one of her majesty’s many secret projects that would take time to come to fruition. Now that I am the only survivor left, my queen has given me leave to share the story my home as I see fit. I think she hopes that I will find a new home.

Kal’Thasar was to be a place of peace, a place to bring the elves together as we had been before the sundering. The queen saw so many of the elven woods being despoiled due to the lack of all of her people working in concert that it weighed heavily on her heart. She gathered together several families from each line of elves. These families were chosen for their loyalty, intelligence, and adaptability. 

The queen and a few select advisors traveled south of the Gold Leaf and began a great ritual. They created a small city in the forest which was festooned with enchantments to keep it secret from those outside save the Queen and her trusted advisors. Here in Kal’Thasar, these families would work together and create a new elven wood built upon their trust and cooperation.

This occurred at the beginning of the current Elf Queens reign at the beginning of the 13th age.

The city was a success. The families worked well together and the region was a bountiful place. learning and magic flourished here so that the citizens were a boon to any community that they joined if they left. The connection between the elves gave the Queen a taste of what it might feel like if all her people were reunited.

I was born some fifty years ago in Kal’Thasar. My family was one of the ruling families that oversaw the protection of the city from outside threats. This meant that I spent most of my time hunting as the Queen’s enchantments ensured that no outside threat was a worry. This did not protect us from betrayal from within.

We elves are long-lived. We normally have no reason to strive so hard when, given time, we can accomplish whatever we set out mind too. For those that see power though, this slow pace can be felt like a chain. One of the dark elves, a wizard of great power, sought just such an avenue of quick advancement. They allied themselves with the Diabolist. She gave him the knowledge to summon a great demon lord.

This traitor to Kal’Thasar did not understand why he was given such an honor but took up the challenge to accomplish the ritual. It was on my the anniversary of my forty-ninth year upon this earth that he accomplished this goal. This demon quickly slew his summoner and began a pogrom on my home. The hordes of demons that descend upon us were far beyond our ability to stop. Our cries for help could not be heard outside of the protective enchantments on the city. our only hope of rescue was the Queen and she was distracted by an atrocitry being commited against the wood elves by the High Druid. 

Help was not coming.

tens of thousands died that day. The blood flooded the streams of the forest and stink of sulfur fouled the air. I aided the escape of as many as I could but the city was lost. We fled, only to be hunted like dogs. I was able to flee to Gold Leaf and was sequestered by the Queen. I had thought that I would be given sanctuary but the hard glint of her eyes told me that this was a fantasy. I was to leave the city and seek my fortune as an adventurer. I was to try and discover what had driven the demon to destroy her grand experiment and give her a target for her sorrow and rage.

Thus, I am now a wanderer. There were others that were so treated by the Elf Queen. Each was murdered and their entrails strewn across a city block. I struggle with the weight that my queen has burdened me with but know I must go on.

I am the last survivor of Kal’thasar and it falls me to avenger her.

***

Residents of Kal’Thasar are a resilient lot. The founding families were chosen for certain traits by the Elf Queen. In her enigmatic wisdom, she also observed this resilience and sought to spread it amongst a new generation of elves.

Kal’Thasarii (Feat)

Adventurer Tier:  +5 hit points per recovery 
“Though a resident of Kal’Thasar may be down, Don’t count them out.”

Champion Tier: +4 to initiative
“Being a resident of Kal’Thasar made one aware of the ebb and flow of life and circumstance.”

Epic Tier: Reroll 3 recovery dice

“Sometimes when things seemed grim, A Kal’Thasarii must dig deep to overcome adversity.”

A Guest Post Later This Week

One of the players of my Tales of the 13th Age (Inquest) game, the incredible Rob Hall of the Pumpkin Society and Zero Fortitude, will have a guest post related to his character's One Unique Thing.

It will go live friday around Noon EST time.

I'm very excited.

13th Age: The Montessi Blades

Harkness Montessi was a treasure hunter turned monk turned monster slayer during the 10th Age.  At the tender age of twelve, he set off with "Rabid" Rob Robair, a tomb-raider, to seek fortune and fame.

After close to two decades working together, the pair unwittingly unleashed a fiend named Turaskian J'ten who had been imprisoned during the 6th Age.

While Rabid was slain, Harkness was found by monks from the nearby Monastery du Priles where he traded in adventuring for a quiet life.  Montessi spent his days tending their gardens and his nights studying fiends and monsters of all kinds because his sleep was plagued with nightmares of J'ten and Rabid's destruction.  After several years Harkness finally grew tired of cowering in fear and now had the knowledge to hunt the many terrors that plagued the 10th Age.

However, he knew he needed weapons to aid him in his quest and Montessi set about having the monks help him craft several powerful swords whose legend would live on for untold Ages.

Vex 

Greatsword made from the feathers of the Angel Eptham.
Default bonus: You gain a +1 to attacks and damage (adventurer); +2 (champion); +3 (epic).

Heatwave 

Khopesh forged from the heart of the volcano Tepestku.

Default bonus: When you miss with an attack roll this weapon deals an additional 5 fire damage (adventurer); 10 fire damage (champion); 15 fire damage (epic).
Quirk: It complains it's freezing unless it's within 10 feet of an open flame.

Vesper 

Long Sword made from the bones of Saint Superior.
Default bonus: Attacks and damage when using the weapon: +1 (adventurer); +2 (champion); +3 (epic).

Shroud 

Scimitar made from the Eye of Death.

Default Bonus: You gain a +1 to all Defenses (adventurer); +2 (champion); +3 (epic).
Quirk: Insists on saying a blessing over fallen foes.

Voltaic 

Short Sword made from the teeth of the Storm Giantess Bes.
Default bonus: You gain a +3 to Initiative rolls (adventurer); 

+5 (champion); +10 (epic).

Thunderbolt 

Bastardsword made from Winds of Kon.

Default Bonus: While the Escalation die is odd, you deal 1d8 Sonic damage to an additional 1d3 foes Nearby (adventurer); an additional 3d8 (champion); 5d8 (epic).
Quirk: Brags to you where lightning is about to strike, precisely 5 seconds before it's visible to you.

Inquest: Holly Ray Clowney [13th Age]

Holly Ray is the daughter of farmers living many leagues outside of Old Town.  She never thought much of her Ma and Pa's life before they had her or the hard yet peaceful life they all led together, tending their farm.  Holly Ray simply knew that her parents quietly loved her and they kept her safe and that was more than enough.  

It never seemed odd to her that on the nights of the full moon, her Pa would lower Ma into an old well that had long ago dried up or that he and Holly Ray would lock themselves in the old root cellar for the night.  For all three nights, in fact.

And so things went this way for the first fourteen years of her life.  Until the storms rolled in for close to two weeks straight, flooding the nearby creek and even causing  the old well to fill, once again.  She watched her Ma and Pa argue about it, until finally her Pa relented as Ma begged him to help her, that thing would be fine.  Hours later a monster out of nightmares ripped through the root cellar door, Pa shielded Holly Ray from the creature that faced them, while begging it to get away from them.  But, Holly Ray was overcome with fear and somehow set the creature ablaze...with her mind.  She couldn't tell if Pa was more worried about her or the monster as she fell into unconsciousness from using her newfound ability.

Holly Ray never got to ask him though, the next day, she woke up riding in the back of a wagon, driven by a soldier, headed for parts unknown.  She could just barely make out her family's farm far in the distance.  Her skin was covered in strange tattoos and she had a terrible headache that wouldn't go away.  A man in a dress uniform sat across from her, and when she asked where her family was, he sadly responded that something terrible had happened and it was best not to dwell on it.  When she questioned him about her parents, he sadly shook his head and told her to think about her future, it could be bright indeed, if she wanted it to be.

Holly Ray had found her way into the hands of Colonel Clevon Imlikin, who told her he was a member of the Grey Masters.  That night as they made camp, he explained that he had been close to her farm the previous night, when her own terror had allowed her to burn the monster that attacked her and her father.  But while she had saved herself, her Ma and Pa had not been so lucky.  Further, he told her that if she would listen and work hard he would train her to use her power.  He also explained, that one day if she were disciplined enough, she might even be invited to join the Grey Masters.  Finally, he explained that the tattoos on her body were designed to keep her from using her newly discovered ability.

It was then that one his men brought a dagger to her throat, drawing blood and the Colonel immediately commanded Holly Ray to burn the man.  And to horror, she did, even though her head exploded with stars and the tattoos boiled off of her skin, she burned the man to ash.  As Holly Ray collapsed to the ground, Colonel Imlikin quietly explained that there were many in this world who hunted beings like them.  But he would prepare her, and then exhaustion claimed her.

Then next day, the Colonel, who looked at her with both awe and a tinge of fear, explained that she was a Torch and that she was part of a select few of beings born with the power of the mind.  When she asked if she was a magician, Clevon scoffed, telling her she was something much more than a mixed blooded mongrel or greedy scholar and quite possibly the key to the 14th Age.

The Colonel proved to be a fair yet stern teacher and he trained Holly Ray in all matters of subject, self-defense and most importantly her power.  She learned that the Colonel was a Spyglass and his senses were far greater than most and even extended into the past and sometimes the future, but most importantly they allowed him to find other's that shared their gift.  Finally, after nearly two years, the Colonel was set to present her to the other Grey Masters and he told her how proud he was of her.  And deep down, Holly Ray was proud, as well.

They were staying in a village outside of Horizon, at a small Inn run by a couple who doted on Holly Ray, as Clevon  prepared for her introduction.  They ate a wonderful meal of venison and potatoes and she laughed at the old man's stories until it was time for bed.  But it was also the first night of the full moon and Holly Ray's other heritage, on her mother's side, finally expressed itself.  That night, as the clouds parted and the full autumn moon hung high in the night sky, Holly Ray transformed into a werewolf just like her Ma.  There were no survivors amongst the carnage of the following morning, the old man, his loving wife and even the Colonel fell victim to Holly Ray, the monster and the Torch.

As dawn bathed the holocaust in harsh light, a group of men in red and black armor quietly approached her, they made no move to attack, and one of them simply took her up in his arms and cradled her there.  And so, Holly Ray let herself be quietly taken to the man who contracted the Rom Pharr to Find her, Baron Voth.

Voth was ecstatic he had snatched her from the clutches of the Grey Masters.  The Baron gleefully told her that she was essential to his Obsidian Gambit whenever he visited her in her cell whenever the moon was full.  Each time he promised her that she would do great things one day.  For him.  And then he would bring in some poor, terrified fool to keep her company until the moon would rise.

When the Company of Badgers found her in her cell, she tried to warn them to leave her, that the change was only a few days off, but they insisted she come with them.  As they clashed with guards during the final push of their escape, it almost seemed like Holly Ray stepped in front of the will o' the wisp that attacked them and stole her life away.

But a werewolf is far harder to kill than that, and Cash the Bard warned his group that odds were that she would return to the living at the first light of the full moon.  And so the group prepares, waiting to help a young girl and hoping to protect themselves in the process.

Meanwhile, in the city of Necropolis, Baron Voth ponders the possibilities of Holly Ray's future, a future that a sad, lonely girl believes will never be her own.

Rom Pharr Finder for 13th Age

Rom Pharr Finder 

Mysterious thieves who appear out of the shadows to take your most prized possession, be it your daughter, your grimoire, your grandfather's ring, or even your Frost Brand.  And even if you stop them, they will keep coming for it because they are relentless, and will not quit until their contract is fulfilled.  They are the Rom Pharr and they will steal the the one thing you hold most dear.

5th level spoiler [HUMANOID]

Initiative: +6

Ghostblade Katana +11 vs. PD—18 damage
Natural even hit:  You do not get to make a save at the end of your turn.

R: Poisoned Dart +10 vs. PD— Target is stunned.
Natural 16+:  Target is vulnerable as well.

AC 21
PD  19                              HP 72
MD 19

For more information on the Rom Pharr and their history, click here.

Inquest: Rom Pharr [13th Age]

The Rom Pharr are an elite cadre who have operated throughout the lands of the Midland Sea since at

least the 8th Age.  Their loyalties have been bought by the Wizard King, Dragon Emperor, Prince of Shadows and even the Diabolist.  The Rom Phar are Finders, their sole task when hired is to retrieve any single object their client requires, wether it be an artifact, a spell book, or even a person.  They have unparalleled success as Finders.

When the Rom Pharr accept a contract their fee is rather unusual, it is the weight of their target in star metal, a rare and ancient metal that has fallen from the Overworld.  It goes without question that a client must be in dire need to employe e the Rom Pharr .  However, the group will not cease the pursuit of their target until the contract is fulfilled.  At least one contract, the retrieval of the Ember Grimoire from the Archmage himself, took them nearly 300 years to complete.

The Rom Pharr will go to any length to secure their target, but cannot be bartered with.  Their current contract must be fulfilled before they take on a new one, as the Dragon Emperor once learned the hard way.

The unit is believed to be comprised of less than thirty members, but the truth is that very little is known about the group, only that they all wear identical black and red armor and that the only member of the unit who seems to speak is the Negotiator, their apparent leader.  He is identified by the strange twin bladed glaive that he wields.

Those of power and privilege around the Midland Sea often treat the Rom Pharr as boogey men...until they have something someone else wants badly enough.

Rumors (1d6):

1) The Rom Pharr are snakemen from Omen.  They plan to restore their homeland to it's ancient glory and defeat the dungeons that have invaded it, before retaking the Midland Sea.  To achieve their plan to destroy the dungeons there, they require a huge supply of star metal.

2) The Rom Pharr were started in Shadow Port and maintain a headquarters there.  They can be contacted by taking the ninth room at the Stygian, an inn at the crossing of Sept and Qualm.

3) The Negotiator is a role that every member of the group takes, at different times.

4) The Archmage has placed a bounty on the head of the Negotiator.  The price on his head is the granting of a single Wish spell.

5) The Rom Pharr are single family, the Von Blau clan hailing from the Lost River region, who were cursed by the Three during the 4th Age.  The star metal is the price the Black requires for the hex to be lifted.  They have already freed themselves from the Red and the Blue.

6)  The Rom Pharr hail for Stardock, they are sworn to return the remains of fallen stars to the Overworld.

Tales of the 13th Age: Winding Down Wyrd of the Wild Wood

First, Tales of the 13th Age is an awesome program and I can't rave enough about the quality of the work being done.

Second, as much as I'd like to keep the schedule the adventures intend, it just won't happen.  So my Tales of the 13th Age game is drastically different from what I was given and I've decided it's ok, because both adventure paths have inspired all of the fun at our table and...well we're having fun at the table.

While I'd love to run a weekly game, we're lucky to get three sessions per month, so we're making it work.

Right now, instead of starting a second group of player characters, I stuck with the first and had them transported from Necropolis to the Wild Wood (by an aboleth).

And while I intended for them to flee for their lives toward New Port, where El Jefe waits for his phylactery, well, they had some good reasons to stay.

They did find the ruined city that with the Aegis guarding it, but they are waiting for a mermaid princess and lycanthropic trapper to return from the dead (hopefully I'll get a chance to explain this better).

Next session is a meeting with an Archdruid and a couple of surprises and hopefully I'll start into the third adventure path.

Inquest: Princess Shee La Napthorian du Don [13th Age]

Shee La is the eldest daughter of King Nikel Clea-Napthorian du Don and Queen Trident Napthorian du Don, sovereign rulers of the Deep Blue Kingdom of Am Nu Vor (Amity Bay).

Shee La is a powerful telepath with limited telekinetic ability.  She is brilliant, charming and a born leader.

The first of seven sisters in line for the the throne, Shee La demonstrated her telepathy while still in Trident's womb.  She was precocious, quick to learn, likable and extremely caring from an early age.  Her telepathy, was a gift, the ruling family had guarded dearly, and it has aided them several times in some extremely tense diplomatic scenarios.  Shee La quickly found her place at court and excelled at both demonstrating her worth as a future leader, while remaining completely loyal to her family.

Trident and Nikel were both shocked when Shee La was kidnapped by the Rom Pharr, mercenaries hailing from the Red Wastes.  Baron Voth, who paid for her capture, was quick to contact the King and Queen and convince them to stay their hand at either rescue or retailation.

Baron Voth chose Shee La as one of several political targets who were integral to an elaborate plan, the Obsidian Gambit, that the Lich King had assigned him to accomplish.  The Baron had heard of her reputation at diplomancy and chose to dine with her on three separate occasions.  Shee La found her mental power sorely tested in resisting powerful enchantments each time and deduced that the Gambit required her cooperation to some extent.  Her telepathy wasn't necessary to see that Voth was deeply frustrated at not being able to break the mermaid.

While held in the dungeon, her tank was in the same room as an aboleth who identified himself as Shoal.  Over the several months they were incarcerated together, Shee La developed a loose rapport with the being and discovered had had been held captive for nearly five decades by Voth.

During the escape from the Baron's dungeons, Shee La was killed by an attacking will 'o the wisp, however the Company of the Badger chose to take her corpse with them and deliver her remains to her family.  They were pleasantly shocked to discover the enchanted water of the Wild Wood hass resurrected her and is slowly returning her to full health.

Tales of the 13th Age: An Update

I'm truly enjoying running Fire Opal and Pelgrane Press's Tales of the 13th Age Adventure Paths and the team, led by Ash Law, is producing damn fine stories to tell.

Unfortunately, I got behind and my group is running a mash-up of the first two stories and my goal is to be ready start the third one on time.

Basically, the group just finished stealing the Crown from Necropolis and with the help of a "talking catfish" (an aboleth) were able to teleport out landing up in the forest of the High Druid who has her own reasons for hunting them down.

I won't lie, I took the outline of both adventures and worked up quite a bit of my own twists, I purposely made Necropolis far more mundane than my players were expecting (if you have a city of undead, unlife has to still be fairly day to day).  And best of all, the players have built up three interesting sub-plots for us to flesh out.

I look forward to getting us on track and heading off into different directions.

Tales of the 13th Age: Roachdale

Less than a century ago, Lana Roach, the Witch of Montessi, led a small contingent of followers down the New Road to what eventually would be known as Roachdale.  Lana was a celebrated and staunch follower of the Priestess before a deep and mournful schism forced the Witch to seek a place to worship the light in the way it called to her.

Lana led her most dutiful followers from their homes near Santa Cora to a homestead in the Wild Wood.  The site was an ancient place that Roach had rightfully purchased, through esoteric negotiations, from the Elf Queen.

The Queen was triumphant because the bargain she had reached with Roach freed her lands of a cursed site.  A place where an atrocity from the 9th Age had made the area a blight upon her realm.  

But unbeknownst to the ecstatic Queen, the Witch was no fool and knew of the cursed history of her new home.  Roach and her followers cleansed the plot they'd purchased and set about building a place for them to worship in peace and respectfully tend the land for fur and lumber, careful never to break their contract with the Elf Queen.  Lana's followers chose to name the settlement in honor of their beloved leader, Roachdale.

What Lana's followers would never know was that this site was essential for her to pursue the calling that had separated her so deeply from the Priestess.  The Witch devoutly believed that light cannot exist without a darkness to keep at bay, and the greater the light, they more terrible the darkness to hold back.  She knew that below their new home lay the ruins of a loathsome bulwark, an ancient Keep of demoniac horrors.  The Witch of Montessi hoped the daily rituals she taught her people would ward this Age from the Keep's dreaded return, because in her darkest moments Roach feared that the Priestess's warnings, in the days before their schism, could ring true.

And Shadow Well Keep should never again be allowed to blight this or any Age.

13th Age: Blackshadow Scarab Swarm

Blackshadow Scarab Swarm

An ancient and fearsome pestilence born of the Lich King's displeasure and unleashed as a display to his enemies that no man, woman or child will be spared his retribution.

1st level [INSECT]
Initiative: +1

Swarm +5 vs. PD—5 damage
Natural even hit: The target takes an additional 1d6 damage.

AC 14
PD  12                              HP 20
MD 10

Tales of the 13th Age: The Prisoner of Roachdale Part 1

Session 1 of the Crown of the Lich King

El Jefe's Company of Badgers set off with a few horses and a brass cart pulled by four stout Nomad dragan horses driven by Popo.

The first two days of the four day journey were uneventful with light traffic along the Pilgrim road.  While the team passed several grim faced and nervous travelers heading passed them, they chose not to inquire about news from Roachdale.

Midway through the third day dark clouds began to dominate the skies and Popo urged his brother, Ulrik, to move the cart off the road.  Popo's Great Uncle Lucho lost his life to lightning and the brass cart made the bear more nervous than usual.

The group found a nice clearing just off the road, which looked to be a well used spot for travelers to camp.  Not far from it, dense woods and steep hills kept them out of the rain and protected their backs.

Alora sought solace deep within the woods, while Popo, Ulrik, Joshua readied their camp.  Meanwhile, Dusk and the Swanshadow sisters began exploring the hills and found an entrance to a deep cave, which they chose to explore.

While Martha was hoping the cave could provide her with shelter from the trauma of the coming storm, a sense of foreboding from the place made her return to camp to let the others know what they had found.  However, Dusk, Tiffanie, and Desiray plowed ahead into the squat cave and Dusk was surprised to see what she thought was a drider huddled behind some large rocks.

It took Desiray's fearful scream, as she ran from the cave, mixed with Tiffanie notching her bow for Dusk to realize that the creature, which had now flung itself at her, was no drider.

The stalktopus fully grabbed Dusk in it's tentacles and began to constrict the life from her shocked form.  She only avoided succumbing to the beast's poison barbs, because of the ubiquitous use of it in drow society.

Martha and Desiray rallied Dalthorian and a belligerent Alora and the stalktopus quickly fell to their united assault.  Tiffanie's interest in beasts of all manner, made her realized that several parts of the dead stalktopus were useful in various ways, so she retrieved them.

While the group remained at the roadside camp, the storm and the encounter with the tentacled monster gave them little rest that night.  As they began the final leg of their journey the next day, Martha was unusually quiet and refused to reveal to her sister what vision the storm brought her.

With the settlement in sight, the midday sun flashed off something shiny in the nearby woods, revealing a strange bugle hung on a high branch of an ash tree.  The group decided to recover the instrument and soon had Roachdale...or the remains of it in sight.

While travelling, Dalthorian and Joshua both spoke at length of their time in Roachdale.  Dalthorian mentioned a quiet, sprawling homestead, on the frontier, with hard working and determined people who simply sought to be free of civilization.  Joshua told tales of houses made of amber and stone circles powered by geomancy.  The monk also warned of the settlement's fruitless battle against sick bears that would wander into to town to devour small children.  This last story caused Popo a great deal of frustration because his tribe had worked for generations to fight their taste for human children.  But recidivism was a great concern for him and all the work he had done to overcome the stigma.  Notably, Dalthorian was quiet about Joshua's experiences in Roachdale.

Neither of them described a town that had been drown in some terrible deluge, nor the ominous black keep that squatted on a muddy hill in the middle of flooding.

As the team drew closer to the devastation, they began to realize that the settlement hadn't been flooded, but a great swarming mass of insects had engulfed it, with only the rooftops spared from their invasion.

The closer the team got to Roachdale, the louder the the din grew as the bugs carapaces scraped against one another as they moved across each other a million times over.

Tiffanie spied soldiers of some kind patrolling the keep's walls as she stood on the "shore" of the sea of insects.  Dalthorian quickly realized that a manned keep had to have a way in and out of this hellish moat the bugs created and began searching it's perimeter with Martha in tow.  Desiray began working a ritual to create a way to cross the monstrous insects.  Joshua noted that the insects were Black Shadow Scarabs and had been used by the Lich King in the 2nd Age as a punishment for defying one of his many decrees.

As Desiray completed her summoning, Dusk blew the bugle they'd found in the ash tree.  At it's sound the scarabs parted like water and at the same moment the space was filled with Desiray's conjured bridge.  Tiffanie, Dusk, Joshua, Alora, Desiray, Ulrik and Popo rushed over the bridge.  However, the bugle alerted the guards to their presence and a large ballista sent Joshua and Desiray clinging to the side of the bridge, mere inches from the stunned scarabs.

Alora forced open on of the keep's huge double doors with her brutish fury and Dusk clung close by her ally, picking off onrushing guards with her hand crossbow.  Ulrik and Popo crashed through the other door and ran deep into the keep's central yard.  It was damp with mud and musty lumber was stacked high in several piles.  But a strange feeling overtook Ulrik and the skin on his scalp began to crawl, making him decide to retreat back the way he came.

As Alora charged forth into the keep, she felt a similar sensation but her bloodlust was magnified and she easily cut down wave after wave of the keep's guards.  Her assault allowed Dusk to slip, unnoticed into the shadow of the keep and began to explore it.  By this time all of them noted that the guards wore helms to conceal their faces and had reddish, scaled skin and wreaked of brimstone.  The knowledge that the guards were demonic did little to console them.

Ulrik, freed from the stifling keep, helped Joshua and Desiray climb back onto the bridge just before the scarabs fully awoke.  By this time, Dalthorian and Martha rejoined them after hearing the bugle and seeing the scarabs go still.  Dalthorian rallied the rest of the team and led them into the keep where the last survivor of Kel'Thassar smashed into an invisible wall of malicious force.  Stunned, horror ran through him as a ancient voice whispered in his hear, "The Kel'Thassar will finally be wiped from this world tonight, and I will suck the marrow from your bones as tomorrow dawns."

As the rest of her team dealt with renewed waves of demonic guards, Dusk had found a large, black door with numerous glyphs covering it's face.  As the clouds shifted, the writing was made clear to her and she could tell it was in some blasphemous hand and caused her nose to bleed and eyes to itch.

Meanwhile in the center of the keep, an ill light began to fill the courtyard and the smoky shape of a

hairless demon, wielding chains and stinking of licorice took form.  All the while, a haunting laughter filled Dalthorian's ears and unwanted visions of torture and depravities danced luridly across Dusk's eyes.

Tales of the 13th Age: Company of Badgers

El Jefe formed an adventuring company and has contract several members for the first leg of the operation.  Those who signed his contract are obligated to journey to Roachdale and recover an item they are only allowed to disclose to him. 

In turn he has taken care of their room and board in New Port and has provided them with a per diem and supplies to make a round trip journey to the settlement.

The brave souls who have signed on are:

Joshua Umbertusk, a half-orc monk walking the Shakti Path.  He is fastidious about his cleanliness and appearance and prides himself on nearly passing as a human.  He has put his faith in the hands of the Priestess and sought out the esoteric katas of the Great Gold Wyrm.

Dalthorian, a serious and careful long haired wood elf and the Last Survivor of the Kel'Thasar (One Unique Thing).  He is devoted to the Great Gold Wyrm.

Ulrik Bgrrrrr, a dirty and grim wood elf who has been Raised by Bears (One Unique Thing).  He is accompanied by his "older brother", Popo, a bristlebearn bear who is good at driving wagons and is deeply concerned for the groups well being, bordering on paranoia.  He strongly supports the High Druid.

Dusk, a tall, wisp of a drow.  She is filthy and unkempt and is always on edge.  She suffers from Cleptomania (One Unique Thing), and is constantly redistributing the team's belongings.  She has garnered the attention of the Prince of Shadows.

Tiffanie, Desiray, and Martha Swanshadow, high elven triplets who have chosen to carry on the Swanshadow family tradition of being adventurers.  Tiffanie can Talk to Animals (One Unique Thing).  Desiray Spent Many Years as a Yeti (One Unique Thing).  And Martha Dreads Storms Because They Reveal the Future (One Unique Thing).  All three have strong ties to the Elf Queen.

Alora Dannon, a half-orc reaver and sellsword with little beauty and even less brains.  She is a loner and prefers silence.  She has served in the Orc Lord's army.

Johnny Walker Cash, a human bard with a mysterious past.  He is very talkative and extroverted and constantly talks bout his partial amnesia and strange black cowpunching boots.  He constantly drinks from his Flask That Never Empties and has never met a stranger.  He has crossed paths with the Prince of Shadows, served the Priestess faithfully, and run afoul of the Lich King.


El Jefe did provide a rare and strange brass cart and four stout horses to pull it.  He has also hinted that others may join their ranks.

Tales of the 13th Age: Enrique Del Fuego

Enrique "El Jefe" Del Fuego has recently gained notoriety  in the Seven Cities for looking for agents willing to partake a mission "rich with equal parts danger and fortune."

Its notable that established adventurers such as Sheena "She-Ra" Rath, Sargoo the Sapient, and Billy Ray Cordite have been turned down by El Jefe.

Recently, Enrique assembled a team, a rag tag band of exuberant, yet unknown adventurers set out from the city of New Port to Roachdale.

Roachdale is a bustling fur and lumber settlement amidst Volmer's forest (the Wild Wood) and southeast of New Port by about four days travel.  The trip is fairly easy as Roachdale is connected to New Port by the Pilgrim's Road (the New Road).

Rumors surround Enrique Del Fuego:

1) In the last month, he has hired two prior teams to make the journey to Roachdale in search of a mysterious treasure.

2) Enrique's wife, Esmeralda Faustina, was sacrificed to the Lich King while he was leading a merchant caravan between Santa Cora and Horizon.  She was sacrificed as punishment for offering their daughter, Anabella, to the Diabolist as a blood pact so she may finally give her husband a son.

3) Enrique is being observed by the Wotangamut.

4) Enrique is a staunch follower of the Priestess and has earned the title El Jefe due to his generosity.

5) Enrique recovered and sold the Lich King's True Hand to a collector in Axis several years ago.

6) Enrique murdered his business partner, Victor Capello, because he believed that Capello was responsible for his wife's death.

Tales of the 13th Age: Character Generation

As a HUGE fan of Fire Opal Media and Pelgrane Press's 13th Age, I'm eager to run a game as part of the Tales of the 13th Age Organized Play program which kicked off today.

First adventure is Crown of the Lich King and my group has made a Human Bard, Half-Orc Barbarian, Elf Ranger, Drow Rogue, and Half-Orc Monk (I'm expecting at least one more character).

We'll be starting the first session ASAP and I'm very keen on the resources we've been given and owe a big shout out to ASH Law for keeping us informed, answering questions, and just being awesome.

I'm pretty hyped to get things moving and can't recommend 13th Age enough!