King of Fall - Act I - Game Thread

So it begins.

Please keep in mind, I may do some things differently, never done a PBP as a GM before, etc. So bear with me as we kick this off and I put together how to bring it to you.

Hopefully this will be an interesting game for all of us. Remember I work a lot and have a family so just keep that in mind. :)

Let's call this a little flavor to kick this off with. This does not involve your characters, and you don't respond to this story piece. I will put the next (first) post up that you need to respond to soon. I am no author, so hopefully this comes out well. :)

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The view looks out over a forest, a lite layer of snow sits on top the trees as the view slowly moves down to the top of the trees towards for floor of the forest. The snow is thicker on the ground as it falls sooner this far north. You see a lone figure running through the forest. As the figure approaches the view you see a woman, a beautiful woman, despite the odd painted patterns on her face. Dressed in furs and leathers of different animals. Her hair is brown and tied up out of her face by a leather strap across her forehead wrapping around the back. You see the hilt of a large sword sticking out of its scabbard on her back, and an axe and knife hung at her side.

She is running hard, breathing heavy and leaning forward as if she can only go so much farther. In the distance is a howl and guttural call of several horrid dog like animals called Worgs. She pauses for moment, catching her breath and turning to look behind her. She sees her nearest pursuer and turns and starts to run again. Her long legs taking stride after stride through the forest, bursting through branches and leaping over fallen trees. She can now hear the nearest Worg crushing through the snow, baying in pleasure as it moves in on it's kill.

As she leaps over the next fallen tree, she lands and kicks backward putting her back against the fallen trunk moments before the Worg comes leaping over the fallen tree. The Worg lands heavy, skidding and sliding to stop as it tries to wheel around at her, but she moves quicker. Axe in one hand and a knife in the other, she is on the Worg before it can get it's footing. Her hand axe strikes the Worg in the head, the blade deflects off the skull of the Worg, but the momentum of the blow keeps the Worg spinning in the snow. She dives right, coming up behind the new floundering, whimpering Worg. Her knife red with fresh blood from hamstringing the creature as she passed. Still trying to turn and face her, the Worgs back leg fails him as he tries to put it down to gain traction. She is already on him again, the axe buries in the skull of the Worg, it makes a final strange whimper and falls. She tries to remove the axe, but it is buried deep in the hard skull of the creature. She leaves the axe after one more frustrated tug but deciding the better course of action is to turn and run. The baying of the other Worgs closing in on her much closer now.

Running again, her breathing is heavy and her strides shorter as she ducks and leaps through the forest floor. Suddenly she comes to a sliding halt, arms flailing to her sides like she is trying to swim backwards through he air. As the view pans out from her, you see a cliff about 75 feet high, straight down to the forest tree tops below it. She manages to keep herself from tumbling off the cliff, and then drops to one knee. The baying and howling getting even closer, as they sense their prey is close.

The woman stands and pulls the greatsword from its sheath on her back as she turns in the direction of the closing Worgs and starts walking towards them. She brings the sword up in front of her, straight up and down in a form of salute.

"Ancestors, Brother and Sisters, those who sit in the Forever Halls, raise a glass to me." she says, eyes closed. "This day I will join you in the Forever Halls. Lend me your strength and guide my fathers blade." She opens her eyes, seeing the other two Worgs closing in on her. "Let them see what a woman of the north is made of, that a Chieftains daughter stands before them!" She yells louder with each word. "RAAAHHHH!" she yells as she bursts into motion, with power and grace she moves like the wind. Bringing her greatsword down directly onto the head of the Worg that didn't have time to rethink charging in on the seemly helpless being in front of it. The force of the strike driving the head of the Worg into the ground in a spray of blood. She pirouettes as she sidesteps with the force of the blow, stepping aside as the body of the Worg slides past her grotesquely, spinning the blade in her hands to bring it back up in front of her. The dead Worgs nearly cleaved head folded underneath it's body. As its momentum ends and it comes to a stop causing the tension of its contorted body to somersaultt the now limp body onto it's back with blood spraying out in bright red lines in the snow.

The final Worg, bigger then the other two she has already killed, isn't so quick to rush in on the woman, having enough intelligence to know this woman is no easy kill. He is pacing her back and forth, teeth bared in a low growl as he sizes her up. "Lets finish this beast, come and taste my steel!" she yells as she quickly moves and brings a strike down at the Worg, but he bounds back out of the way of the strike, then with powerful hind legs leaps back forward at the woman as the strike put her off balance for just a second. She goes down backwards as the large paws of the Worg catch her in each shoulder, bringing her down under the beast. She flashes the pommel of the blade back across, hitting the Worg in the side of the head right before its jaws would have torn out her throat. He yelps, and reels at the blow. The Worg bounds backwards off the woman and begins to turn back to her to come back in at her. The woman is scrambling backwards away from the Worg and trying to get on her feet. The Worg leaps again at her, but she rolls to the left on the ground then starts to roll back to her right using her momentum to bring the greatsword in an arc across her prone body. It bites into the snow and ground as the Worg jumps back again. She begins to back up again, and the Worg makes another lunge at her but it seems to only be to drive her backwards. Then the woman gets to the cliff edge and can go no farther back. The Worg lets out a howl, knowing he has his prey cornered. He paces her again, weighing when to strike.

She gains her feet again watching the Worg pace her. If a Worg could smile she could see it on his face. Leaning on her sword appearing to catch her breath a moment, but in a quick fluid motion slings the knife at her hip at the Worg. The knife buries itself in the chest of the Worg, just to the side of where the front leg and chest meet. The Worg lets out a pained, but angry roar and wheels directly at the woman. He leaps at her, and she roars back. You see the blade of her greatsword appear out the back of the Worg as they both tumble backwards over the edge of the cliff.

The view lingers there for a moment. The cliff edge with the trees beyond and below the cliff. You see red blood spots stark and steaming on the pure white snow. All you hear is the howling of the wind as swirls of snow whip around. The view fades slowly to black.

It's a cold fall morning in Stowald. The sun is peaking up over the horizon and the world is waking up to it's warm embrace. The sky is spotted with clouds but none threaten to bring rain or storms. The smell of morning fires from the chimneys permeates the air as the people of Stowald get ready to begin their day, warming their homes to shake off the cold night. A few folk move about the streets, off to start their days business.

The town is small by town standards and is spread over a fairly large area. The older part of town which originally served as the home for many loggers and hunters sits uphill a little from the rest of the town. A small stone fort sits in the middle of this older area. The rest of the town has been built in the last 50 years or so. Since the mines in the Rockspires were discovered and exploitation of those resources began. Some came to mine, some came to start businesses to support the miners and those streaming in to strike it rich in the new found veins. That is until the King of Myr decreed that the Myr Mining Company owned all rights to the riches of the Rockspires. This has since stabilized the population flux of Stowald. The logging families of Stowald never skipped a beat during this time as business has always been good, producing much of the wood for the northern regions of Myr.

If you look around the town you would see forest covering the north. Sporadic trees and fields and farms to the south and east and hills rolling off to the west. The town sits off the Flann Tributary, which flows down into the Artus River to the south. You can at times see barges moving lumber and minerals down river. Rarely does anything come up to Stowald as it is the last stop on the smaller river and only in the spring is the river deep enough for anything beyond and flat bottom barge.

Your characters are in the town of Stowald, as we have established. Let's set our starting points and I will build us up from there. Since this is a PBP site, I may throw some details back on you to come up with, since we all have time to think about our posts. D&D but with some more collaboration then traditionally perhaps. Don't hesitate to speak up though if you don't like something, I am open to discussion on anything.

It's morning for all of you. Where do you sleep? Where do you live or stay? How would you start your day?

I think one or two of you have where you live or stay established, but this is your chance to make it full cannon or change it. I have special notes for a couple of you, but you will all end up with these so don't feel left out if you don't have a direct line at you right now. :)

Edit: I know there is no map, you can just describe the place you feel like you stay or whatever as well, and I will expand on it.

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Galas
Galas you have noticed a new star that is suddenly in the sky in the western hemisphere. I would assume you are excited.

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Oswald
You find Mara has had a hard night. You find her asleep on the floor in front of the door to her room. Vomit and an empty bottle of rum on the floor next to her, but she has managed to avoid being covered in the vomit and is pale, but otherwise just appears to be passed out from drinking. (Which has become more of a thing for her lately.)

Stowald

Here is a little more detail on the town. To help you. It's all in my head right now. Haven't named everything either so I will leave most of it unnamed at this moment.

As stated Stowald is considered a town, but a small one. It's been bigger at times and smaller at times.

Buildings and Businesses:
- King's Gold Inn (Mara ownes, and Oswald helps run and was own by his former friend.)
- General Goods store
- Specialty Store (Weird lady no one really likes, people go there for headaches and herbal treatments, rumors say she had more than that.)
- Several warehouses (Mining company, and Logging company)
- Myr Mining Company office
- Small Defensive Fort, used by the town guard and the few Lord's soldiers actually in the town.
- Houses for the miners family are in the new areas, as well as house in the older parts of the town.
- There are farms and ranches near town, with barns and other farm/ranch stuff.
- Plus many other standards you would find in a small town.

I will have a map at some point, until then I will try and build it in your head as we move along.

Galas looks up, and does a double-take when he sees another elf. As she speaks out in fluent human bumpkin, Galas's mouth drops onto a round "O" is surprise. He seems frozen on the spot for a moment. In his shock, old habits drilled into him as a youth flare up. He touches his brow and begins to bow formally as elven courtiers do, catches himself halfway through, and awkwardly begins scratching his ankle in an attempt to play it off. When he tries to speak, all that comes out is a squeak that might have been the word, "Pumpkin?"

He shakes himself and turns, attempting to address Oswald again, looking anywhere but at "Maggie", How much for room and board through tomorrow?"

Good stuff so far everyone. Since King's Gold Inn is getting some attention, let me give you an idea of what you see.

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King's Gold Inn

This Inn is quite unique. It appears to be built straight into the side of a hill. The second floor (from the outside) seems to sit on the hill almost, with piers holding up some of the second level above the double doors of the entrance. There is what appears to be a chimney stack sticking out of the ground on one side.

Upon entering the doors, stairs lead down into a common room and would seem to be under the earth. Most of the room has wooden walls all around the common room all the way up it's high ceilings. When you are down in the common room, there are actually two floors above, with the wooden railed balcony walks to the rooms. The roof covers the entire structure, some three floors up from the common room, with a covered opening at the top of the crest. One floor of rooms is set up as a common sleeping area with a dozen or so beds and some with curtains. The third floor has six individual rooms.

On the right side of the stairs down into the common room, is a partial bare area of the wall, where a fireplace has been carved directly into the rock. On the left is stairs up to the rooms, and as you walk further in, the bar and desk are along the wall, with some of the bare rock also displayed behind the bar. The back wall just has a single heavy door which leads back into the kitchens, and some of the underground storage.

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Fun fact: The current owner Mara, doesn't understand or doesn't care about the historic significance of her establishment, but it is a well known, if rarely visited, Inn in the Kingdom of Myr. When it was originally constructed it was called the "Fool's Gold Inn" because it was built in a failed mining location. Apparently the miner's didn't realize there was unrelenting rock in this hill, or at least that's the tale.