Registered Member #24041
Joined: 4:19:01 am GMT 01/24/17
Posts: 2147
Necro Night XV: In the Halls of the Golems
"A Golem isn't that much different from a lich after all..."
Mors shuts the tome, but the words still seem to float in front of his eyes. It is the start of an idea...
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They have gathered again, but it is not a tomb they will visit on this day, or at least, not one of the typical nature. Instead they head into the foothills of the Grey Iron Mountains, skirting past the goblin tribes and the giants, and to an old ruin, though not forgotten. They have come to the halls of the mechanist, following a hunch.
The halls are filled with strange... they are not creatures, Mors supposes, but rather constructs. It is not for their craft that they have come, though it is certainly masterful, and Mors cannot help but take some mental notes. What really interests them though is how the constructs are animated, what the force is that supplies them with the energy they need to continue moving after the rest of the halls have fallen dormant for so long. Constructs fell to the party as Rita and Narade quickly overtook them, with Morton and Jacen providing undead assistance in the form of several skeletons. As the last bits of metal slowly ground to a halt, they began to hear the wailing.
Trapped in devious circles, preventing them from moving on to the next life, spirits wearing the Kreis emblem of old, seemingly locked in eternal torment. Narade follows the ley lines of magical energy, seeming to pinpoint a kind of collection unit that powers the constructs themselves.
The strange things keep coming, and each brings a new horror: some are mechanical bulls, set to gore those they cannot first cleave apart with giant axes. Some float above the ground, wielding enchanted swords with which they smite about them with undying fury. And finally, the most deadly, simply blast their opponents apart with magic, leaving little behind but a smoking, lifeless corpse. Many skeletons are torn apart by the fury of these spells, and only through a concerted effort are they able to find their way to two things which seem to Mors at least to justify the risk in coming here.
The first is another of the bull-like creatures, but more powerful, holding a heavy smithing hammer in one hand. They engage it in combat, but even as they tear it apart, it seems only a short-lived victory. The creature somehow is able to begin pulling itself together. Hurriedly, they leave the room and come face-to-face with the second reason Mors was so interested in coming. A forge. Not just any forge though, the aura of magic, of desperate and dark magic, still lingers in the air, even to this day.
They quickly retreat, after studying the forge for as long as they think safe. They have not learned everything, but they have learned some things, and some things they have learned may change everything for them.
((Necro Nights are Tuesdays at 4PM PST (GMT -7) Come join us!))
Registered Member #24078
Joined: 3:40:59 am GMT 05/14/17
Posts: 1565
Necro Night XVI: Battle Fury
The Necropolis was quiet as the sun drifted lazily over surrounding hills, and once again the cabal of esoteric researchers had gat-
WAAAAAGGGGGGAAAAAAHHHHHHAAAA!!!!
....
A bloodcurdling war cry echoes from the ravaged battlefield of Crater Lake and fills the darkened tomb where the two hooded men are sorting through the pile of golem parts.
That boisterous orc spirit was back...
They had seen the hulking shade rushing about the now calm battlefield for several nights now. Each time the Vandals would drive it away with spell and flame only to see it return at the start of the following night. They may have finally grown accustomed to the bestial shouting, but the two men within the tomb were on their last string of sanity. Morton finds himself wishing the thing were a banshee, or even an allip so he may actually die and be rid of the troublesome, unceasing, guttural shouts.
The clanging door of the tomb causes them both to drop the heavy chunks of golem and soon the pair find themselves entertaining a couple of unsuspected guests: one an elf; clad in crimson, and the other one of orchish blood; bearing the unmistakable symbol of Lathander. Morton winks to Mors as an idea stirs to life in his dying eyes. Despite his fear of the devotee of the Dawnbreaker, one such as herself would be rather well suited in helping this particular spirit find peace; while also putting an end to those terrible howls that haunt the cabal each night....
The unlikely group wanders towards the battlefield as the night darkens and they soon discover the maddened shade is indeed an orc warrior who rather loudly declares his name to be Gorak; Gorak who was cheated of his glory in the final shots of one of the countless charges that took place within the bloodied grounds of the crater. Each night the spirit charges the lines of Vandals, and each night he is put down, much to his dismay. Depsite all this, he charges again...and again...and AGAIN. However, fortune favors the necrotic researchers on this night, for the forlorn orc seems more than willing to converse with the unsuspected priestess who shares his blood and guttural language.
The pair exchange all manner of orcish grunts, shouts, and other unspeakable sounds before she is able to discover the source of his woe:
It seems poor Gorak had lost the one thing that would ensure his glory to live on in death: The severed head of the rival orc tribe who faced him during his last battle. The angry spirit tells of how he slew his rival, then only to be shot down by the hails of arrows that followed. He calls his death a good one, one fitting for a warrior such as himself, but what tortures him is his last mortal vista: the sight of his priceless trophy being tossed thoughtlessly into the caverns of the yuan-ti; seeing his glory and victory tumble away with the discarded head of his hated rival.
A wild chase ensues as the researches and their guests delve into the caverns to find the rather disgusting trophy so the orc may at last have his glory and depart. Alas after much toil and fighting with the devious snake folk, they do in fact recover the horrendously disgusting head and Gorak is finally allowed to depart into the wild afterlife that awaits him.
As the visitors take their leave, Morton slumps into the cold stone chair in the tomb and soon drifts into a deep sleep; one free of orcish war cries.
Gorak was not the only one who finally found rest that night.
Necro Nights are Tuesdays at 4PM PST (GMT -7) Come join us!
OOC Disclaimer: This is just an idea for a Necro Night session. I discussed it both IC and OOC with Alanonas, but I will jolt it down here for reference.
Quest Proposal: Curst Tower of Zeraphil
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Introduction: It is not often that I, Renneleth Margaladhon, once of Feywood, now of Silentwood, Huntmaster of the Tel'Mordere Talon and Decay Tribe, beseech humans for aid, yet I do so now, Maintral (Death Speaker), and I do so humbly and sincerely. On behalf of my people, I ask for your knowledge and expertise on a subject that has been a sore thorn and a grim reminder for my cousins in Greenvale for millennia: Zeraphil's Curst Tower. Eons ago when this island was yet blooming under a nascent dawn, before the time of Men, we elves dwelled in Greenwoods and built there, upon ancient canopies, a city of splendour. Under the wise and gentle rule of Queen Elisara we thrived and prospered in harmony with the land. Until the day they arrived.
Demons. Devils. Creatures from ungodly places. We stood firm and strong, foremost among us Zeraphil, our chosen champion. Zeraphil left the war camp one night to challenge the infernal overlord in charge of the assault on Thain. He never returned, not like our people knew him. He returned cursed and broken, and isolated himself in a solitary tower. Our people believed that with Zeraphil gone the curse would be undone. We now know that the witch Kallista D'Mora undid Zeraphil, yet the tower remains...
Help us dismantle it. Help us dismantle the curse, and you will know the gratitude of my people.
- Renneleth Margaladhon
Date: Whenever you guys decide.
Important Note: The tower ties in with ongoing DM plots so this event will differ from your other player-run events in that a DM will probably want to oversee the narrative. As long as it isn't Payne!
Registered Member #24078
Joined: 3:40:59 am GMT 05/14/17
Posts: 1565
Quest Proposal: Curst Tower of Zeraphil
Fantastic idea!
I think this event would work best if scheduled on one of the upcoming weekends this month.
Fight Party is scheduled for the 20th if I recall, but other than that things seem clear for October. I'd imagine Saturdays would be preferable for most of the players and 12:00 PST/15:00 EST/1900 GMT seems like a reasonable start time to accommodate most players.
That being said, I'll go ahead and propose that we set a tentative date for this on: October 13th at 12:00 PST/15:00 EST/1900 GMT
Please feel free to give your own thoughts on this!
Registered Member #24078
Joined: 3:40:59 am GMT 05/14/17
Posts: 1565
Special Event Notice: The Macabreade!
"Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask and he will tell you the truth."
~Oscar Wilde
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Hey Thainites!
Necro Night would like to host another larger player event, though with a slightly different idea this time, and we’d like to get it out early enough that people can know about it far enough in advance.
The idea for this is twofold:
First, Cuchuwyn and I have been talking back and forth for a while now about how cool it could be to have a costume party on Thain. The goal here would be to have everyone be able to show off some cool outfits that normally would be too silly/out of character/whatever to wear, under the guise of it being a masquerade.
Second, and more important, the hook: A man has been murdered. This sort of thing is pretty usual for our Necro Night crowd, but unfortunately, this particular man can’t remember who the murderer was. He remembers it was at a party. He remembers the people there, the stunning costumes, the dancing… but nothing more. He wanders the scene of the murder endlessly, hoping for a revelation… but thus far nothing.
And so, our intrepid helpers of all things undead will be helping him to relive this party. Very shortly, notices will begin to appear inviting any and all to a grand masquerade, in order to help re-create the long ago atmosphere, and in doing so, hopefully spark the memory of our troubled spirit.
How this will work:
Upon arrival at the party, your character will be given an alternate identity based on some NPC commoner-type in the server (so, for example, a Hamley farmer, a Hammersong barkeep, a Sandburrow fisherman, Steinkreis socialite, etc.). You will then be turned loose to socialize with others. We will give you a few starter things to roll with beyond just a race and an occupation (e.g.: married, children, some minor quirk, etc.), but other than that it’s up to you to RP out what you think your character would do. The twist, of course, is that one person who comes to the event will be given the murderer description. This person will be given a few additional things to work with, and as the party continues, the ghost may offer a few hints as well.
In the end, each player in attendance will give a scrap of parchment (accessible to anyone with /craft) to Alanonas or Cuchuwyn with their guess for who the murderer is. Anyone who guesses correctly will get a small reward.
Additionally, there will be a contest for best costume! Each player in attendance will have the oppourtunity to nominate one other player in attendance. The player with the most nominations will also receive a small reward for their creativity!
Tentatively we would plan to start this event at noon PST/3EST/7GMT on Saturday, November 3rd. The event itself shouldn’t last more than a couple of hours, unless people get -really- into playing their new roles!
A couple of notes:
Use background knowledge of locations to flesh out your characters of course, but please don’t put anything plot, or player, specific into them. Your new identities are, after all, meant to represent people who all died long ago! Standard PVP is discouraged at this event (partly because we don’t want our placeables to get blasted and partly because of disruption). /duels, however, are welcome if both players agree. While this is framed as a call for anyone who would normally help the Necro Night folks, in reality we don’t mind having characters who would be there OOCly, since we’re giving you an alternate identity anyway. If you want to participate, please do!
Registered Member #24041
Joined: 4:19:01 am GMT 01/24/17
Posts: 2147
Necro Night changes
Hey everyone!
Wanted to announce that starting next week, November 28, Necro Night will be moving to Wednesday. We will still meet at the same time (4PM PST/7PM EST/ 12AM GMT).
Both Alanonas and myself have had work situations change a bit which makes Wednesdays much easier for us than Tuesdays. If/when Falkala/Payne re-start Dragon night, Necro Night will likely be over before Dragon night gets fully underway anyway, so characters/players could theoretically attend both.
Registered Member #24041
Joined: 4:19:01 am GMT 01/24/17
Posts: 2147
Special Event Notice: Necro Night Finale (A Final Song: Part II)
Hey Everyone!
Those of you who have been following Necro Night fairly closely will know we've been coming up on the end of some of the stories Alanonas and I had hoped to tell when we started this thing about 10 months ago now.
The last event that we have planned is pretty straightforward in concept: Part of Mors' story (see the 'Revenants' thread for more details) is that he has been working in one way or another for the entirety of his Thain existence to restore his brother back to life. This event is the culmination of that, one way or another (and I'm not sure how it will play out, to be perfectly honest). But what it does represent is the final result of lots of work from lots of characters, some of them having only come to one or two Necro Nights, and some of them having come to nearly all of them, who for various reasons came together to help Mors and Morton research undeath.
We'd like to thank everyone who helped make Necro Nights awesome fun to run, from the first nights when we captured various undead creatures and locked them in the Greenvale Wizard tower, to more recent events, where we delved into the Underdark and tried to piece together the strange mysteries of golems.
We wanted to invite everyone to come together once more for a final celebration of that effort. The central plot will be trying to make good on a promise Mors made to himself a long time ago, but as always, things are likely to be more complicated than just that. So come on out, this Saturday, March 23, at noon PST/3PM EST/ 7PM GMT. There will be music. Mors may try to kill you all.
Also, just some OOC clarifications since I've had a few questions ingame:
1. Alanonas and I will no longer be hosting Necro Nights largely due to OOC time constraints, and so we can focus on other things like Greenvale Night and also being devils/demons.
2. Other people are free to keep Necro Nights going if they want. Feel free to use this thread and/or the "Trials of the Necromancers" thread. Don't feel obligated to do something every week. If you need anything, let us know and we will try to help as much as we can. We might even be able to come to the events!
3. If someone wants to use the Wednesday night timeslot for some other event(s), feel free to do so! If we ever decide to start hosting Necro Nights again, we'll figure out a new time at that point.
Registered Member #24041
Joined: 4:19:01 am GMT 01/24/17
Posts: 2147
A skeletal hand emerges from a shallow grave...
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Like the undead of its own stories, necro night is rising from the dead! Alanonas and I have been discussing for some time now how we might continue the stories of the necromancers that met in Jerrit's tomb to go out and aid spirits in various tasks. While we have not committed to a solid schedule yet, we would like to start doing some necro night style events in the upcoming weeks and months, and so this post will serve as the announcement of the first one:
There is a great deal of history that is lost in any war. The names of the fallen are some of the first things to vanish. Armies of thousands or tens of thousands are spoken of, but rarely are the names of more than a scant handful recorded, and even these recordings vanish into the mists of time, until even the wisest and most prescient historians can only make educated guesses.
It is said that history is written by the victors, and this is largely true. But memory and time do not care who won and lost. And in strange eons that follow, spirits from both sides remain restless, longing for something they cannot put a name to, for they themselves have no name.
It is to these spirits we turn our gaze now- to those who fell in the defense of the city of Vongottstein. To those who have long been forgotten. To those who endure.
((This event will take place at 8 PM EST / 5 PM PST on Sunday, August 25th.))
Registered Member #24041
Joined: 4:19:01 am GMT 01/24/17
Posts: 2147
Update: Due to some planned server maintenance/life events this event has been pushed back to start at 8 PM EST / 5 PM PST on Sunday, August 25th. We still hope to see you all there!
[ The Island of Thain ]
Necro Night?
