Admin, OOC, and Launch Discussion

Hyp, I think you are still out there. Roll Initiative, bro. Set us up for Action.

CB, Ox, I don’t think you’re out there. Go back to sleep - I’ll run the NPC. You can read about it someday.

Moving forward R1 tomorrow.

Just been a bit busy. I need to see what my options are, plug in the proper intiative dice, then do some basic calculus. ETA home time: 930-1000am pdt
ETA initiative post: some time after the above.

My initial thoughts were to go after Elam but with the arrival of whatever the fuck that thing is, I'd like some PC thoughts. Should I dump an arrow and attempt to push it back into the pit or set focus to Elam? It is possible it'd just climb up, make it's save, or some other cursed temple bull but if it works that's an unknown threat off the board.

I've been rereading a lot of the interactions with Elam, a huge chunk of which was in private notes and PMs between me and J. That fucker Elam planted the fucking Serpent Bands on Iasu. Put them on Iasu's shoulder and gave him a fucking "there's a good boy" pat on the fucking head! Fuck Elam! Fucking fuck him to fucking hell!

Hear that Jabes. I wa thinking about that before, remembering how Elam gave them to you.

You know... to use against the enemy. Bastard.

Hey all, sorry, I was out for the day yesterday; looks like Thorn's R1 didn't end up happening. But whatever is coming down the hall still hasn't come, right J? The only thing I can think of would be for Thorn to try hacking at the chains in the doorway. Bad idea? Those are the chains Bryn is working on, right?

Glad you’re here, X. I kept moving on Initiative flow, assuming you had assessed there was nothing really to do. Probably an accurate assessment.

Correct. Nothing has approached from the west to descend the tunnel. Squealing, grunting, and snarling sounds only - still off at distance of the Seance Chamber.

Correct 2. The chain barrier blocking the threshold is exactly what Bryn is working on, trying to get an escape route.

Let’s say Thorn tries a slash. Unfortunately no result. The chains have enough slack and are tough enough to absorb slicing impact damage, but also too tightly woven and taunt to slip through.

Wait. I thought Bryn was working on chain control in general, to counter Elam, neutralize the chains etc.

After writing that, I realize that's for you to know J and us to hopefully find out.

No offense, X, but if it just gets us through the barrier, an exit... fuck. That means Elam remains all Iron Man like while the chains work our asses.

I also have a feeling that if Iasu gets dropped into the pit, Elam powers up. Or shit gets immediately worse in some way.

So, as I wrote the last post, I am reminded how dope DT is, for the simple fact that a dispel magic would solve a shit ton of our problems right now. Cast on Elam, he drops. Cast on Iasu, he's free. Etc.

DT generates some serious drama because the team doesn't always have a simple fix for every problem via magic. The scene is playing out like a damn straight up action flick as Bryn tries to solve the chains while the rest of us struggle against a demonic chain engine fueled by Elam. High drama here, big time.

First off, sweet ass push Hyp. One problem down and out.

And J, damn. That was some beautiful writing for Maeriks sacrifice. Just wonderful. I swear, I got just that feeling of almost going misty eyed.

Almost, fellas. Almost.

But wow, just a great scene and finality for Maeriks.

RIP Maeriks. Hopefully the crew gets to meet you again. Years from this moment in time, at the Cursed Palace and gateway to Hel.

Hell yeah, Maeriks! I really felt that, J, with the throwback not only to his boyhood, but also the fucking Glaaiekou and the merciless slaughter in the Black Ziggurat! Fun times! Sweet reminiscing!

CB, sorry, bro, but even though Bull Maeriks saved Iasu, they weren't that close, so that half-devil isn't gonna mourn. He's got his own problems. Just saying, because Maeriks sure mourned Ivor, and I wish I could return the favor.

P.S. Elam suckz!

Glad you liked the DM overstep writing. It was meant to be some nostalgia for Ep 1 and the vivid history of Maeriks, and to hopefully tug on heart strings for all of us sentimental types. Ha!

Maeriks started as a NPC as we know, met his buddy Thorn first to start a friendship that never stopped, before CB masterfully breathed real life into him - pulling off one of the most dynamic conversion of a character out of nowhere that I've ever seen.

Also, I think Maeriks' story is one of the saddest ones I've heard before in a game. I mean Ep 1 was brutal on him, and he already had a tough backstory and style that calls for quite a bit of pity.

Not sure if he will make it or not, but a heck of a character I think.

Well done, CB...
Slack motherfucker. Quitting. Darth-Vader-on-the-phone avatar all zzzz'd out asleep...

CB is definitely in the slacker bail on the group mofo category.

Damn it. Maeriks at 2 hp with the small irons cruel on him. Fuck.

Fellas, at this point, much like at Old Island, there is jack shit we can do for Maeriks but pray. So many irons on him Kray couldn't free him if he wanted to.

Iasu is also in dire straits. And, much like Jabes pointed out about Iasu not mourning Maeriks, Kray hardly knows Iasu. And Jabes, as much as I want to rescue Iasu because of Jabes the *player*, Kray knows suicide when he sees it. And Kray watched Talius, who he had known for about 2 years prior to Old Island, get pulled out into the swamp as gator food.

Kray is cold and calculating, and willing to risk for his closest friends, but up to a point; he is as logical as they come. And Iasu just doesnt have that relationship. As you guys know, Kray is pragmatic above all else. And engaging the Greater Pit Fiend, near the pit, with Elam there...

Seems like a suicidal death wish. More importantly, the guys Kray is closest too, especially Thorn, are right behind him. Kray can actually hold out and hope Bryn gets the damn chain barrier open, which seems to have progress now.

I really hate it Jabes, but I'm hoping for a miracle on this one. Especially since I think Iasu as a character is awesome as hell (recon-medic, love it). But Kray has to protect the tight crew first and foremost. And I want Iasu to be part of that, but it looks grim as shit.

All of the above said, Kray is going to do the best he can. I'm not sure of the play here, but going to consider. It's a heavy moment, this whole turn.

At this point, realistically, which is what I love about DT, this is looking like a withdrawal. I dont expect miracles and at this point am looking to salvage what we can for the PC's who seem less than completely screwed. Hoping Bryn can get that chain barrier open. Really. Fucking. Soon.

It seems the focus is on Elam's sacrifice ritual of Iasu to the Fiend. Buys us time.

Since the irons are still wrapped on Maeriks, I'll make a pass to waste the last edimmu and then cover the hell out of Bryn.

Man, I'm really hoping for you, Jabes. I wish I could do more. In hindsight I feel we could have handled this whole damn palace better. The traps, Elam the liar. Should've have put him to the sword. Kray is going to be cold as ice if he makes it out alive.

Hyp, please get your ass out of there.

Hey, J, clearing things up. It was my intent to move to Kray and Bryn at the Iron gate. Did I need to spend two movement initiative rolls since it was spilt by an attack? Or was it a simple missed detail?

Yeah, that's fine, Hyp. I see what you mean now. I think I misunderstood - missed the planned secondary step of Movement in R2 - apologies.
Easy fix: Ryhim is there now - rallying in close with Kray and Bryn at the chain barrier.

Hyp, I have a feeling you're at a loss because everything that could've gone wrong in this shit Cursed Palce did. The opening trap room, the politics of the NPC factions in the dungeon. Seems we picked the worst of them to side with.

Thing is, J, unlike other DM's will let the narrative flow. We chose to press on, when in hindsight we shouldn't have. That learned behavior of gaming over time with soft DM's and GM's that things will be okay, because those GM's and DM's will cover for foolish players.

I still thought we had a shot too, even after losing Ivor, the near death of Maeriks, the near death of Thorn. So many casualties. Yet still we pressed on. Foolishness. Years of gaming experience where the PC's can't fail facilitated our pressing on, despite the obvious signs that we shouldn't.

The cherry on top was Elam goading us into it. I wanted to trust him, to get the loot, claim victory. Fellas, I don't know about you guys, but this is the most hard-core game I've ever played.

As far as targets, a shot at Elam could break his concentration, or just attract his attention and piss him off, chain style. Maybe. But Iasu drops, still wrapped by two snake coils he has zero chance to break free from, paralyzed. Surrounded by a Greater Pit Fiend and the Pasty One with a HUGE fucking hand that spans the pit from platform to the other side.

This is survival mode now, evade threat and escape the palace. Or so it seems at the moment. At the very least we need to get out of this infernal meat grinder. The tunnel is a good start as it gets us away from the chains and the pasty one. Elam has what he wants, so I *imagine* his interest in pursuit would be minimal.

Hyp, you might be best off at this point going Dodge. Nobody likes it, and yeah you might feel like a bitch because there really isn't shit we can do for Iasu. I want *so badly* to do something, but it will just amount to all of us dead. TPK.

We cut our losses and save who we actually can. I really don't feel like a shot on Elam will make him drop Iasu. Again, even if he does, going over there against Elam, the chains, the Greater Pit Giend, the Pasty One...

High as hell risk with very little chance of success. And, I guarantee promise the hell to you, J will not cover your ass with a sideways glancing DM miracle

Honestly, I've been struggling to write a post since the betrayal. I've actually been grateful Iasu's been shut down, unable to act, because I honestly wouldn't have known what to write otherwise. So I finally posted, and it woefully falls short of what's really going on in Iasu's head, but that's it in a nutshell.

Kray's all "fuck it, let's bounce!" (the smart choice, TBH) and Bryn is all "rah rah go team, we can do diz!!!" (Haha J gets to show his soft side via temporary DM puppet mode!) and then Iasu just gives the fuck up. Bet you didn't see that "love you, bro." coming. Ha!

Fuck, I want to save Iasu, so bad. But the team is wrecked. Thorn won't last a turn, maybe 2, tops, if he is lucky and very threat in the room ignores him, or he just chills out in the tunnel. Iasu is near death already, at 23 hp by my count. 

It is, without a doubt, a suicide mission, extreme minimal chance of success. Every choice in this dungeon from our shit entry and the trap room to trusting Elam... a horror movie for the team by all standards.

*I* want to save Iasu... really Jabes. But I also know Jabes gets the RP of it, better than most, as exemplified by Iasu not giving a shit about Maeriks, the man who just sacrificed for Iasu.

This is rough, but I also know that Kray is straight up cold and logical, and Iasu is a guy he's known for an hour. And Kray wouldn't risk himself or ask Thorn to do so. He wouldn't ask any man to go in there, do something Kray himself wouldn't do.

Kray's primary focus has always been (1)Team survival and (2) Team success. He would not push any of these men to risk themselves. The team that entered the Cursed Palace had a vested interest in wealth. And it's just not worth it, dying to save a stranger's life.

I feel cold as hell from a players POV. At the same time, just like Old Island, I know what the right decision is here.

As does Jabes. And Jabes, love you as a player, bro. Mean it with the utmost sincerity. Beautiful post my man, a shred of love toward your sinister betraying ass brother, right at the end. Grace.