Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Charles Phipps 07-14-07, 11:25 PM	Okay, you have an assignment. You must come up with an introduction for an NPC villain in a couple of paragraph that will make an impression on the PCs. All with the same simple memory inducing grandeur of Darth Vader introducing Boba Fett.
Edymnion 07-15-07, 12:11 AM	Setting: The lower duras of Sharn Time of day: Night Weather conditions: Heavy fog after a day of rain. "The fog is thick as you leave the tavern, making it hard to see more than 10 feet in front of you, but you know the way well, and aren't worried about getting lost. You pass through the glow of the everburning lanterns at intermittant intervals, most having long since been stolen or destroyed. Coming around a turn, still laughing about the story the bard was telling before you left, one of you hears something and sushes the rest. You all stand there, quiet, listening, thinking <insert PC name here> has had a little too much to drink when you too hear it. A soft wimpering sound. Moving towards it, you see a hazy figure standing in the light of one of the remaining lanterns, although you cannot make out details through the fog. As you get closer, you see a tall man of average build. Most likely a nobleman, as his clothes are of a fashionable cut, with ample amounts of expensive material. That isn't your main concern, however, its what he's holding. Or more precisely, who he is holding. In a single outstretched arm, he is holding a small girl, not more than 10 years old by the looks of her, by the neck several feet off the ground. Her feet are kicking feebly beneath her white dress, and small hands trying desperately to pry the man's fingers away from her throat, but without success. Her eyes turn to you in a silent plea for help. Following her gaze, the man spots you and looks mildly dissappointed, as if someone had interrupted his game. Before any of you can act, he wrenches his hand around, and even from where you are, you can hear the sickening crack of the girl's neck snapping. He opens his grip, and her body falls to the ground, her blonde hair spreading out across the damp paving stones of the street. Without looking back, the man takes two steps into the foggy darkness and is gone." Nothing says monster like killing a child. The fact its a pretty little girl just makes it all the worse. If they try to follow him, its dark and foggy beyond the circle of light provided by the lantern, and he's just plain gone. Nothing they can do will let them catch him (maybe he teleported as soon as he was out of sight, maybe he just hid, who knows). Describe her body in ways that will only increase the player's rage. She's wearing a white sun dress with small amounts of lace around the edges. Upon closer inspection, it turns out to be an elven girl, her moist blue eyes staring deadly into the night as they turn her over. Have her teddy bear or similiar stuffed toy be found on the ground a few feet away. Other than the red throat from where he held her, and the way her head hangs limply from the broken neck, there isn't a mark on her. Why was she so brutally murdered at such a tender age? Who was the man that did this? He didn't look strong enough to hold her straight out in front of him the way he did, so was he even a man? Go a step further, introduce her as an NPC earlier, maybe she had a little basket of wildflowers she was selling for a copper each. Maybe one of the PCs bought one, maybe they talked to her and found out what a sweet child she was. The point is that it is such a horrible thing that the players, forget the characters, will be furious and do anything they can to catch this guy. As to what he is, a vampire would be the obvious answer, so don't go there. Perhaps he's a psychic vampire, who feeds on fear. Maybe he really is just a sick, sick human with magically augmented strength. Maybe he's something far, far worse...
Thanqol 07-15-07, 08:00 AM	I can tell Edy's still enraged over the opening to Twilight Princess. The PCs have just fought their way through a trap-filled dungeon of evil death guarding some powerful item they want to get their greedy mits on. "You enter the relic chamber, and there's your prize - the glistening glory of the Bracers of Dexterity +6 (or whatever). Piles of treasure are stacked up everywhere. Your battles have not been in vain, it's time to divvy up the loot. So you think, until you hear a low, guttural voice from behind you. Behind you is a bear of a man, rivaling the biggest Warforged for size. A huge black beard covers the front of his chest. His face is smeared with black charcoal, and his eyes glare at the piece of paper held in one ham-sized hand. Twigs and leaves are caught up all through his hair, even a birds nest built behind one of his ears. His teeth are filthy, and you get a flash of them every time he growls one of the guttural syllables off his parchment. It looks bizzare to see such a huge man reading. Something invisible shakes around you, as if a wave of air has blasted out from the huge man. Suddenly everything seems colder, much more mundane. Lights are dimmer. Your magic armor hangs limply on your shoulders. Your magic weapons slip in your hands as their perfected balance fades. The lights from the treasure piles dim, and vanish. The man tosses the paper aside, and spits on it. "Thank me. I have saved your souls." He growls. Then he turns on his heel and stalks out. As you move towards the door, the corridor is filled with a sheet of huge fires. You can only see the huge man's departing back and greasy hair as he stomps away. - Some Ashbound druid shows up and uses a Scroll of Disjunction to asplode the party's magic items and the loot they just ground for several sessions to get. Now, this first raises questions of what kind of Ashbound druid will read from an Arcane scroll. He's probably Fallen within his own order. Furthermore, he reckons he's done the PCs a favor by removing the taint of magic from them. If they track him down - somehow, it'll be difficult with that Trackless Step - then he'll act baffled as to why they'd try to kill him. And the PCs can further be assured of not getting anything for their victory - the Druid has blasted his own items and taken a Vow of Poverty. Preferable if this Druid operates in the PC's normal adventuring area, making them relocate altogether to get away from the bastard. He won't follow them, but will still be there if they come back. He's got no grudge against them, personally, but he'll foil them anyway.
Joni-san 07-15-07, 09:54 AM	You have been sloughing through the mournland for over a week. The blasted grounds and the mists are the least of your problems. Then suddenly you spot someone. As you close in, you see a man. A tall man, nearly six feet, broad shouldered and of impressive physique. His pale skin, red eyes and blond hair only compliment his strikingly noble features and handsome face. He is dressed in older fashion, in clothes consisting mainly of yellow with some red and black. When you close in, he notices you and screams "useless!" and casts timestop. After unleashing his wrath upon you he arches back and unleashes a horrible warcry: WRRRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!! Bad End.
DragoonDarkfire 07-15-07, 10:51 AM	"The once proud Camp of the Valenar Elves lay ruin in front of you. The tents have been destroyed, the bodies of thousands of elves lay in front of you. Broken weapons and body parts lay about you as though someone, or something, came into the camp. Took everything into a pot, shacked the pot vigorously and dumped the contents onto the ground. The signs of hoof prints in the ground indicate that the warriors fought back but it appears to have been a futile attack as you see no indication of the thing that did this. As you walk along through the camp to pick out any valuable objects or items among the bodies. <Insert character name> feels a small rumble from the earth. As though a small earthquake just happened. As you stop to wonder what that meant you suddenly feel another tremor. Much more powerful and shaky this time around. <Insert character name> looks to find a source of the oddity but finds nothing. Before you can properly act the earth seems to erupt beneath you and out comes..." At this point you can introduce what you want.
Rechan 07-16-07, 09:31 PM	Place: Sharn, any middle district OR any dangerous locale. Time: Evening. You have the requested item for your contact. You had to move mountains to get it, but you have it. Just like last time, at the pre-arranged drop, you find a note with the location your benefactor wants to meet: a balcony off a certain street where he'll pick you up in his personal sky coach. Except that when you get to the balcony at the arranged time, the coach isn't there. Five minutes pass. "Up there!" shrieks someone; above, the coach careens wildly through the spires and bridges before it glances off the side of a tower and crashes into several stands/carts/gathering of peasants across the wide gap of air from you. The minor elemental is free, and the cyclone spreads the shattered debris around. And in the eye of the coach's wreckage, some of the rubble is pushed aside and up stands a petite Riedrian woman in a red dress. As she begins to brush the splinters from her petticoats, she glances across the gap, sees you, and smiles. Then she turns and strolls down an alley. Alternative: If your PCs have been stranded or were on a mission somewhere dangerous - Xen'drik, Q'Barra, the Demon Wastes, the Mournland - have this happen when the PCs are to be picked up by a rescue airship. Have the ship crash somewhere they can't cross to immediately, like the other side of a large river, or at the bottom of a canyon. The woman would make eye contact, then just walk into the tree line or get a large piece of the airship and sail down the river on the makeshift raft. Or, have her make her getaway as the airship's now-free elemental attack the PCs.
Kamikaze Chicken 07-16-07, 11:54 PM	Congradulations. You have slain the [insert BBEG here] and have returned to your homeland to celebrate. But as you enter city, there are no cries of hooray, not even a charming maiden waving a scarf in your honor. Only weeps and moans, and cries of outrage. The mourners seem to be making their way through one of the towns building, and when they emerge they are even more distraught. It is in this moment of realization that you dash for the sorrowful structure. Upon crashing through the front doors a horrid stench fills your nostrils as fluid seeps through the floor boards. Havoc has been sewn in this room, and it left its tole on the town. A keg of beer has been sundered on the bar, its remnants crowned with a throwing axe, the edge shining with mead, its haft bearing a note. " I am Krug, and I have stolen all your beer." You haveone mission, and it shall truly be the hardest you have ever faced. Not because krug is the Cave troll, master of many forms druid who has terrorized the hills for ages. And not because he is the brother [insert BBEG here]. No you fear this mission more than ever, because the dwarven cleric just finished off his last keg of beer before town was insite. No adventurer may know the horrors of adevnturing with out acholhalic assitance. Fear Krug, fore krug holds your very existenc e in his clutches. Defeat Krug. Save the beer. KAMIKAZE! :chicken: out.
Edymnion 07-17-07, 08:50 AM	I can tell Edy's still enraged over the opening to Twilight Princess.Ooh, good example, I had forgotten about that. Ticked me off enough to send me charging into battle. Ticked me off when Link didn't even get a kiss out of it too.
Rekko 07-17-07, 05:46 PM	The PCs are resting at their mentor's place. They are talking to him of their previous adventure that involved the Lords of Dust and a couple of Fiendish creatures. While debating on future actions to be taken, the light turns off and only the small glow of the moon and stars illuminate the place. Fear and Evil can be smelled nearby when all of a sudden, out of nowhere, appears a fog and an incorporal nightmarish creature. The PCs' mentor seems to be in a transe and breathes the fog in. The lights that were offs flashes dimly and goes off again. A red evil glow can be seen in your mentor's eyes. "Are you all right?" the PCs ask. "Never been better!" the mentor answers in an awful voice before disappearing into dust and vapour. Your mentor is now possessed by your fiendish enemies. (or make it quori)
Vorj 07-17-07, 06:59 PM	“This is a good death one that you can proud of for you have done good works and with your help there will be a better world to come”, says the shadowed figure bent over the body of a House Cannith Heir in the rain drenched street of Sharn. At the approach of the party the figure twists with the quickness of a mongoose, then shadowed figure says in matter of fact tone, “I have done what was needed for the better world to come and it would be quite unwise of you to interfere. However, if your desire is to aid me then perhaps this does not have to devolve into unpleasantness. There is much work to be done and with your aid it can be accomplished more quickly, but if you seek to block progress then you will find a great deal of conflict.” With that, the figure simply steps into the shadows and disappears with only the sound of rain impacting the street to accompany mysterious figure’s retreat.
Samotep 07-17-07, 07:46 PM	“This is a good death one that you can proud of for you have done good works and with your help there will be a better world to come”, says the shadowed figure bent over the body of a House Cannith Heir in the rain drenched street of Sharn. At the approach of the party the figure twists with the quickness of a mongoose, then shadowed figure says in matter of fact tone, “I have done what was needed for the better world to come and it would be quite unwise of you to interfere. However, if your desire is to aid me then perhaps this does not have to devolve into unpleasantness. There is much work to be done and with your aid it can be accomplished more quickly, but if you seek to block progress then you will find a great deal of conflict.” With that, the figure simply steps into the shadows and disappears with only the sound of rain impacting the street to accompany mysterious figure’s retreat. Ooh, I like this one, reminds me of the Agent in Serenity... "There is no place for me there, for I am a monster. I have no illusions about it..." "This is a good death..." Good one Vorj!
_Radagast_ 07-17-07, 07:51 PM	Ooh, I like this one, reminds me of the Agent in Serenity... "There is no place for me there, for I am a monster. I have no illusions about it..." "This is a good death..." Good one Vorj! Yeah, except anyone who's seen "Serenity" would roll their eyes at that opening statement. It's ripped directly from it.
Vorj 07-17-07, 08:29 PM	I will not deny that I used the Agent from Serenity for this entry in the thread. However, he was one of the best bad guys in recent movie history simply becuase the audience loved to hate him and he believed that his cause was just. The Agent from Serenity is very similar to Alfred Bester (B5) in his outlook on the world, and that being they will do whatever is necessary to accomplish their goals. Their methods generate a certain degree of ambiguity and I felt that this ambiguity was a good fit for Eberron where right and wrong are not so clearly defined. To me the scariest villians are the ones who are subtle in their villiany and evil because you never quite know when or how they will strike. When they look at themselves they do not view themselves as evil but as doing good and if not this doing what is neccessary for the greater good.
Altar_Boy 07-17-07, 09:37 PM	You walk down the busy roadway of New Cyre, weaving through the long line of wagons and pack mules. The Orien carriage you commissioned is about a kilometre behind you, with its driver ahead of you. He, like the rest of your fellow travellers, have abandoned their vehicles and are marching stoicly towards the lilting refrain at the center of town. A part of you understands the song is magic, and has enslaved the people. That same part also tells you that you are free, that you can stop anytime you want. The song breaks, but the voice continues, imparting the same melodic tune in its syllables. "Come, come, my fellows. Let us talk, face to face." Your eyes meet what your ears are already intimate with. A withered woman stands on top of a wagon, turning to see the gathering amassing at her feet. Jaws slack and knees bend at her prescence. "Let us talk about what a being needs most of all. Home. We do not have a home anymore. This land is not our home. It belongs to the Brelish. A being's home is where no enemy owns your land, or where monsters snap at your feet." Heads nod. Murmurs of approval overshadow the push to be closer, to touch her priestly robes and allow her voice to completly sweep over them. "I know of such a place, a land where all are your allies and hate your enemies. A land where Cyre can truly be reborn." The withered female raises her wings above her head, allowing the sunlight to beat on her wrinkled head alone. The human mass around you has become one being, intent on hearing the words they were destined to obey. You and your friends recognize what this horrid being is, and your mind starts to reel back into focus. "I am Chranu Drell. Come with me to Droaam."
sirwmholder 07-19-07, 02:12 PM	One by one the PC's wake up... it is a hazy hot morning in which the cloth sheets stick to their skins as they get out of bed. Feeling less rested than the night before. Slowly they go down stairs for their complementary breakfast only to find the workers and patrons alike collapsed on the floor. On closer examination each person's eyes are jet black but they are breathing even though their bodies are rigid. Confused they make their way around town to discover every person is in the same condition... except there are no children. *Toll* The massive bell in the local perish clangs. Sprinting across town they enter to find the wizen old priest dangling a foot off the ground held by an outstretched arm of a seven foot tall slender creature. The creature seems to be drawing the cleric's life force out of his body. A heartbeat later the creature releases the shell of a man to the floor and turns to you slowly morphing into a very attractive woman. Beyond the creature you see all of the town's children huddled in fear but not making a sound. The creature speaks with a voice of honey, "So good of you to come. Now that I have your attention I have a job for you. Refuse me and I will slaughter the children. Kill me and you will never be able to restore the innocents of this village. Serve me and all of your wildest dreams will come true." Just a thought, William Holder
Altar_Boy 07-19-07, 05:30 PM	Very well done, even though my PCs would term that as breakfast in bed.
Koofoo95 07-19-07, 07:56 PM	The PC's have just fought there way out of a Thranian Inquisitorial prison in the basement of a cathedral. With a whining groan the twin wooden doors in the floor of the cathedral's grand hall opens. The doors slam as they hit the marble floor causing an echo to tear through the solemn silence. The hall is massive, a hundred feet in every direction, built as a bastion of peace and faith. The light of a setting sun pierces through stained glass windows depicting saints causing patterns of colors to shift on the floor. Off in the distance, a bell tolls twelves times. Than, all is silent. Peering towards the door, your only way to freedom you see a lone figure. The figure is massive, at least seven feet tall and as broad a two men. The figure is a warforged, though larger than any you've seen before. Its massive frame is completely encased in silver plate with two burning torches embedded into its shoulders. The silence is broken again as the warforge drops the ball of a silver flail, the heavy head has been shaped into a flame. A low muttering comes from the forged as it beings to swing the flail and walk towards you. "Death is my duty, duty is the faith in me by my creators that I deliver the word of the Flame into the hearts of those who seek to turn away its loving embrace. Death is the punishment to those without faith. My duty is to dispense the the faith and protect the shinning flame, death is for those who oppose me, for they oppose the flame. The flame burns those it hates, the flame protects those it loves, the flame is my weapon, the flame is my shield. But I must be the shield for the flame, I must be the weapon for the flame. The heretic seeks to extinguish the flame, the flame seeks to extinguish the heretic, so I shall deliver the death blow to the heretic, for death is my duty..."
Samotep 07-19-07, 09:33 PM	Kinda channeling Darth Maul there! You know what would make it more eerie, I think, is make the flail a Censer that is holding an everburning flame, rather than the flail head shaped like flame... Oooh! Cool!
Vorj 07-19-07, 09:58 PM	Definitely !! that imagine of a censer is even more menacing that the flail I because of the connection the censer has to religous rituals. The bad guy's speech certainly reminds me more of a ritual than a BBEG speech.