Temp
IC[edit]
Children of the Grave A HeroQuest Game wiki IC OOC Recruitment
Characters:
* Aerfal Brighella, cultured thief-among-mages, played by RoadScholar * Bullthrash Skullcleaver, Nutter, played by Wolfhead101 * Isingoma Jagter, Savannah Tribesman and Demon Hunter, played by Asen_G * Lrall, noble Pathfinder, played by coyoteboy * Modu ch'an-yü of the Hsiung-nu, Steppes Nomad and Horse Archer of Legend, played by ZenDog * Terman Pellas, Cambrisi Rakehell and Soldier-Scholar, played by Nexusl * Kaius, Mentalist, Legionnaire and Former Emperor, played by Megazver
~o0o~
Buried as you were within the elaborate network of chambers that make up Aziria's Paper Palace, you did not notice the seasons or the days pass. Was it a year, was it two? It matters little, for the last memory you have from before this time was a hundred, perhaps two, perhaps many more, years ago; the moment of your death. And that time in the Palace passed slowly, as if in a dream. You still hardly feel as if you have woken, in fact, until now.
Now you feel the thrill of the fight, your blood is rushing in expectation and finally, on this chill spring morning, you feel alive. Finally, as your enemy advances with menacing war cries through the trees, it seems this body that Queen Aziria gave you is alive. Though no heart beats in your chest, your blood pulses around your body. Your body is as you remember it from your last life, in ts prime. Yet your faculties are not what they once were. It will take time, and memories, for you to be once again the hero you were.
During those long days, it was Aziria's companion Barkit, an ancient man with the bearing of a prince, who taught you to speak again, who helped you grow accustomed to your body. Although he defers to Aziria in all matters, in his eye can be seen the glint of a man who once was something. What he is now, though, is a man who carries more years in his face than any you have seen before. That he still breathes is a miracle, or else the product of sorcery.
When you finally met Aziria, beautiful yet obscene, you learned her purpose is reviving you. You learned that she had sent her agents out to collect what remained of some of the greatest heroes ever to walk the earth. By some magics unexplained, she restored you to life to serve her, to go out into the world and act for her. She showed you also how she intended to hold you to her purpose. She took you to a dungeon, deep beneath the Palace, and there ushered you into a sty. A handful of pigs fed there and bickered with one another for room. In each of the animals was one of your hearts.
A demonic grin plastered on her taught face, she showed how, with but squeeze of a finger she could reduce each of you to unspeakable agony. This she did in turn, to bring each of you to her knees in turn. And this was the last you saw of her.
~o0o~
It has been some two weeks now of travel. Accompanied by a troupe of Aziria's degenerate servants, you have travelled over ancient roads to the Hellstone Forest. Each morning, Queen Aziria has reminded you of her rule over you. Each one of you, with no seeming rhyme or reason, is left clutching at his chest for air and pulling at his face for relief from the agony that the Queen, even at this distance, is able to inflict. You have grown to dread the dawn, yet you have found the terror of the morning has united you and has fuelled your hatred of Aziria. This morning it was Lrall the Pathfinder who was laid low but then lead the swearing of the oath to kill Aziria and wrest back from her your destinies.
Some of you have heard of the forest before; it is said that a large stone was placed over a pit that lead deep into the earth, to Hell. Beyond the forest is your destination, the Palace of Spires; not a manmade structure, the Palace of Spires is a rocky outcrop of the forest that is topped with ice. There you will find and subdue the Ice Serpent, a monstrous snake that uses the Palace of Spires for its home. You will bring it to the Queen, for what purpose you know not.
Aziria's servants drive a dozen oxen, and these oxen pull a huge wagon. Even now, they are days behind, cutting a way through some of the forest so as to speed your return. Aziria has given you three weeks and two have passed. You dread to think what will happen in a week's time, but there is little you can do but seek the Ice Serpent. Barkit gave you a rope. he said it bears an enchantment that will subdue the Serpent, if you can place the rope about the Serpent's neck.
~o0o~
It is probably the Ice Guard that approaches. Their war cries are fierce but convey discipline; they seek to instil fear, but you have each faced fiercer foes than this before. Any element of surprise was lost when you tripped a cord that rang a bell. Knowing you would be attacked, you have found a curious construction in which to defend yourselves, beside a stream.
Now you prepare yourselves. Now, as your blood runs through your veins, you think of what you once were, and you vow to be that again.
Finally, the Children of the Grave have awoken.
OOC[edit]
Children of the Grave A HeroQuest Game wiki IC OOC Recruitment
Characters:
* Aerfal Brighella, cultured thief-among-mages, played by RoadScholar * Bullthrash Skullcleaver, Nutter, played by Wolfhead101 * Isingoma Jagter, Savannah Tribesman and Demon Hunter, played by Asen_G * Lrall, noble Pathfinder, played by coyoteboy * Modu ch'an-yü of the Hsiung-nu, Steppes Nomad and Horse Archer of Legend, played by ZenDog * Terman Pellas, Cambrisi Rakehell and Soldier-Scholar, played by Nexusl * Kaius, Mentalist, Legionnaire and Former Emperor, played by Megazver
~o0o~
The IC thread is up. Please feel free to post there.
Some general points:
I might right up some rules of the road later, specifically on posting. For now, the main things are: - Please use third person past tense (I am looking at you, Asen ;) ). - Please limit any OOC stuff in the IC thread to the bare minimum. At most two lines, and always italicized please. the main reason to use OOC there will be when you wish to state which ability you intend to use. - When you propose an action that might be part of a contest, please suggest your ability (OOC or the OOC line in IC) and [i]give its rating[/i] - see notes on the wiki about contests. - I'll be doing all the rolls. If that's a problem, please leave it til we are started then shout out.
The majority of you have little experience of HQ. So I'll be trying to introduce it to you. If Wolfhead (Soren) feels like explaining stuff too, that'll help. It may be different from what some of you are used to.
We will be beginning in media res. As I am AFK from Friday to Monday, more or less, it is an in media res where you are about to be attacked but can prepare a little.
Please feel free to describe as much discussion and so on as you like. By the time I am back, I'd like an ability from each of you, that you will use to defend yourself. Talking sweetly will be insufficient, but if you wish to be imaginative and tangential, please do; it is one of the strengths of the HQ system. It'll be a [i]Group Simple Contest[/i]. This means it will be resolved using one roll per character (no rounds or anything) and totting these up. Let's limit any augmenting for now, unless anyone really feels it is necessary.
(NB You have basic weapons of the sort you would normally use. Only RS's character has his original weapons, but that is not his main schtick so I think that's okay. Re. magic, I am going to be giving it principally in-game negative consequences, beginning with most sorcerors being reviled and feared. So bear that in mind)
Please post to say you are here and feel free to post IC.
