Showing posts with label Thea. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thea. Show all posts

Tuesday, 17 May 2022

Thea 2: Settling

[Part of the Cursed story line]

Having regrouped with the researcher and elder dwarf the squad use the magic heart to unlock the passage and finally face whatever is causing the world to shatter... it is a massive light infused dragon, better known as a zmey (seems these things always try end the world). Despite their allies, spells and equipment the zmey is a ferocious and tough enemy, using tooth, fang, tail swipe and energy breath to decimate the group before it finally goes down.


Giant dragons are usually game ending bosses.

When the smoke clears, the only ones left standing are zerca Barbara, Captain Bear, Karel, Little Pirate, and Suri the spider queen. Karel manages to use a rare world seed to save his mother Nyrissa after she was cut in two, but everyone else is dead (22+ characters). To honor their memory (and because they are too overloaded to move now) they decide to build a town on that site and are soon joined by house imp Bogdan and Macko, newborn son of Karel and Barbara.

When he is old enough, he might ask about the stone statue in the center of the village lists the names of the fallen but hopefully he will live a more normal life now that the world is saved. While the game lets you continue indefinitely I thought that would be a good stopping point for this tale.

Monday, 16 May 2022

Thea 2: Dark Hearts

[Part of the Cursed story line]

Before leaving Iceland, the team befriend the Shadow Folk who live on the edge of the island (no shortcuts here, just lots of talking over a long time) who then send one of their number, Sylvanas, to help them on their quest. As they sail back to the Slavyan isle they save the syrin Seayanna from a kraken and she too joins their crew and helps them defeat the trolls imprisoning the elder dwarf they found long ago.


Why wear clothes when you can wear shadows?

This dwarf is then taken to the patient researcher who is then able to decypher the tablet in the Red Ridge mine which gives the location of the quake causing threat, but also says to fix it they would need a magical heart assembled by a druid. With no leads on any druids, the team sails to the next island - the isle of darkness, home to striga, undead, vampires and... more followers of the light!?

Sylvanas is handy in convincing the darker beasties to simply let everyone pass while Seayanna uses her charm to convince female bandit captain Yanka to join the team, who then reveals that the Spirit Talker goblin tribe also resides here. Thanks to the goblin children in the party and a little assistance helping them build a catapult, they introduce the group to their leader: an orc necromancer who can construct the magical heart they need to save the world. Not only that, the necromancer and the entire tribe are coming to help too. Things are looking up!

Saturday, 14 May 2022

Thea 2: Strength

[Part of the Cursed story line]

Iceland is also home to followers of the light: people, creatures, and tentacles(wtf?) infused by a viral spirit and this faction constantly harasses the team with their "convert or die" methodology to the point that Siegfried tracks down their local base and leads an attack that wipes it out, at the cost of Jaethal who was light tentacled to death. Her daughter, Karina the crazy, also dies giving birth to a son Krisztian - whose father is her half brother Vshesul. The boy really has a thing for incest. Ratslava also gives birth to a daughter Mishka, having slept with King Szuvarek of the Water Demon clan after his rescue.

Anyway, after killing little red riding hood (who in this version is a werewolf), the team find the Ice Demon village and Nyrissa befriends them via an exchange student program: giving them Krisztian to raise as their own while they gain Ice Demon daughter Sniezynki and her pet elemental Icicles.


The Little Red Lie on steam is free to play if you like Little Red Riding Hood.

The team then run into the slaver band that held Romek captive and this time the slavers are killed - with the team gaining a young girl named Anzeka and three young goblins: Jere, Tino and Zosh. As they are overburdened with supplies at this stage, the team trade with the Ice Demons to buy powerful magical weapons and God's Armour? Siegfried decides to test these out at a local arena where the group must face five battles of increasing difficulty in a row and they are victorious! This band of champions are now ready to take on the world.

Thea 2: Iceland

[Part of the Cursed story line]

Since the only elder dwarf on the Slavyan isle is guarded by powerful trolls, the group decides to make a ship and sail to the next island over to continue the search. Ice island, dubbed by Siegfried as "Iceland", is quite inhospitable with the lack of food resources and the constant requirement for faith replenishing rituals. They also save the cursed child Zloslawa from her murderous parents and she too begins learning the way of the witch.


This place is full of witches.

Iceland is also home to the Water Demon clan (russalkas) who are at war with the Water Pirates (orcs). Nyrissa quickly befriend the Water Demons by saving their leader, King Szuvarek, from a Water Pirate base on the lake. Only two of the Water Pirate youths are spared to join the group: Little Pirate and his younger sister Deathlover who is again, witch potential. Valerie quickly gains their trust by having a daughter with Little Pirate they call Zenzimira. Nyrissa then promptly baptizes the girl at the Water Demon lake to turn the child into a Water Demon, deepening the friendship with that group so much that a russalka named Natalia also joins their ranks.

Meanwhile Siegfried encountered the cursed King Kral'Skra, doomed to be forever trapped in his crumbling kingdom by the gods who also stole his face and put it on a lowly demon. Siegfried agrees to find and slay this fiend only to discover it is Kral'Skra's son Romek whose back was infused with his fathers face and is now being towed around by some slavers. After purchasing the child Siegfried makes him face his father and Kral'Skra opts that he instead be killed instead of his son. Siegfried obliges, and Romek joins the group as a zerca.

Thursday, 12 May 2022

Thea 2: Red Ridge

[Part of the Cursed story line]

The Red Ridge bandits are an imposing lot, but they agree to let Siegfried's team and the researcher into their territory if the adventurers can first remove from their lands a cave full of demons and a camp full of squatters, who are possibly one and the same. Both are equally easy to massacre, and the child Barbara is taken into the group from the squatter camp as she has the traits of a zerca (a spiritual leader).

Finally granted access, the researcher finds an old tablet in the Red Ridge mines but is unable to read them - now requiring an elder dwarf or elf for the task. Siegfried promises to help and Red Ridge bandit Captain Bear joins them. Also Miloslava has another daughter, Sveibora, this time with her son Vshesul (that motherf*cker) while Valerie helps wandering King "Arathor" to pull a sword from a stone. The thankful King sends Valerie across a bridge (which holds a battle of wisdom) to a nearby lake where the local lady of the lake hands her a less powerful but still magical weapon.


Only movie knowledge can save your characters from certain death...

Meanwhile Nyrissa aids Suri, a little girl found on the road, to get revenge on the rich silk trading merchants that killed her family. Suri turns out to be a spider queen in disguise but Nyrissa keeps her word and slays the merchants which is enough to convince Suri to join the team (and wow, spider queens are strong). Suri then promptly begins teaching Sveibora the ways of witch craft, because spider queens know everything apparently.

Thea 2: Retinue

[Part of the Cursed story line]

After a long and prolific reign, Siegfried Baranor gave up his crown to travel to new rumbling lands with his nymph queen Nyrissa, lover Jaethal, muse Valerie, obese fan girls Miloslava and Ratslava (sisters), and Siegfried's children Karel the fighter (with Nyrissa), Karina the crazy (with Jaethal) and Vshesul the warrior (with Miloslava) after a friendly imp suggested their old enemy, the Lantern King, was hatching a new plot here.

Quarreling with the local scavenger Slavyans wasn't helping matters any so the group instead opted for friendship - clearing some vermin, convincing goblins to move away, and doing odd jobs to gain their friendship while living off the land, harvesting resources as they went, and dodging the multitudes of unliving that clustered around old ruins. 


Including striga.

Miloslava also saves a vodnik prince turned into a frog by kissing him... a lot apparently, as she soon has a daughter Lethiamira. Nyrissa also befriends the local spider folk (who are simply intelligent giant spiders) while Valerie retrieves two half russalka daughters for their dwarf father. Doing all this leads them to a researcher investigating the rumbling (Eren is that you?) but his work has stopped since the location he needs to study is occupied by the territorial Red Ridge bandits.

Friday, 14 December 2018

The Cursed

Starting up a new story today while playing through an old game - Curse of the Azure bonds! Since it's also D&D related I'm adding my Baldur's Gate story here as well.

Book 1 - Curse of the Azure Bonds
Chapter 01 - Hangover
Chapter 02 - Stolen Massacre
Chapter 03 - Shitty Friends
Chapter 04 - Fire Knifed
Chapter 05 - Mobilization
Chapter 06 - Saviors of Hap
Chapter 07 - No Saving Throw
Chapter 08 - Wizards Pets I
Chapter 09 - Wizards Pets II
Chapter 10 - The Second Team
Chapter 11 - Not the Quest we signed up for
Chapter 12 - All Part of the Plan
Chapter 13 - Eleran and the Medusa 
Chapter 14 - Short Ones
Chapter 15 - Common Foe
Chapter 16 - Garden Goblin
Chapter 17 - Full Circle
Chapter 18 - A Horrible Death
Chapter 19 - Middle Finger
Chapter 20 - Tyranthraxus
Chapter 21 - Unbound

Book 2 - Baldur's Gate
Chapter 22 - Baeloth's Welcome
Chapter 23 - The Bloodsport Begins
Chapter 24 - On the Tabletop
Chapter 25 - Hold the Wands
Chapter 26 - Unfair Trappers
Chapter 27 - Highest Tier
Chapter 28 - Baeloth's Goodbye
Chapter 29 - Gorion's Foolishness
Chapter 30 - Baeloth's Return!?
Chapter 31 - Bridge Closed
Chapter 32 - Stopping the Unstoppable
Chapter 33 - Patience
Chapter 34 - Team C
Chapter 35 - Another Detour
Chapter 36 - Jokes on Me
Chapter 37 - Iron Shortage
Chapter 38 - Shortcut to Death
Chapter 39 - That was Wild
Chapter 40 - Firewine
Chapter 41 - Bandit Hunt
Chapter 42 - Cloakwood
Chapter 43 - Mine Later
Chapter 44 - Durlag's Tower
Chapter 45 - Durlag's Basement
Chapter 46 - Is this Azkaban?
Chapter 47 - Faceless City
Chapter 48 - Unfinished Business
Chapter 49 - Durlag's Guardians
Chapter 50 - Shipwrecked
Chapter 51 - Den of Wolves
Chapter 52 - Alphas
Chapter 53 - Beast Masters 
Chapter 54 - Durlag's Cheese
Chapter 55 - The Depths of Durlag
Chapter 56 - Durlag's Legacy
Chapter 57 - Secrets of Candlekeep
Chapter 58 - Fool's Crown
Chapter 59 - Sarevok
Chapter 60 - Useless Girl
Chapter 61 - Friends Old and New
Chapter 62 - Baeloth's Shallow Pit
Chapter 63 - Fresh Lich of Dead Air
Chapter 64 - Alphastrike
Chapter 65 - Hearing Voices
Chapter 66 - The Battle of Bridgefort
Chapter 67 - Might and Magic
Chapter 68 - Dark Magician
Chapter 69 - War is Hell
Chapter 70 - Avernus 

Book 3 - Baldur's Gate 2
Chapter 71 - Black Pits Too
Chapter 72 - Lab Rats
Chapter 73 - City of Problems
Chapter 74 - Copper Coronet
Chapter 75 - Graveyard Visit
Chapter 76 - Thief Lesson
Chapter 77 - Looking and Unseeing
Chapter 78 - Breaker of Prisons
Chapter 79 - Troll Fort
Chapter 80 - Trading in Problems
Chapter 81 - Druid Duel 
Chapter 82 - Got Rep
Chapter 83 - Shadow Boxing
Chapter 84 - Planar Sphere
Chapter 85 - Fuel my Heart
Chapter 86 - Schools of Magic
Chapter 87 - Trapped in the Woods
Chapter 88 - Rewards for Diplomacy
Chapter 89 - Web of Connections
Chapter 90 - Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting
Chapter 91 - Monkey Business
Chapter 92 - Trickster in the Hills
Chapter 93 - Anomen the Coward
Chapter 94 - Windspear Dungeon
Chapter 95 - Firkraag
Chapter 96 - Statue Dance
Chapter 97 - Level 2 Respite
Chapter 98 - Lich's Apprentice
Chapter 99 - Elemental Demon
Chapter 100 - A Tempting Maze
Chapter 101 - Gambling with Many Things
Chapter 102 - Keep to Yourself
Chapter 103 - Guild Wars
Chapter 104 - Onwards to Insanity!
Chapter 105 - Soul Taker
Chapter 106 - Beneath the Madness
Chapter 107 - Battle for Spellhold
Chapter 108 - Underdark
Chapter 109 - What happens in Ust Natha
Chapter 110 - Being Drow
Chapter 111 - Backroom Bargains
Chapter 112 - Triple Cross
Chapter 113 - Sharing a Laugh
Chapter 114 - Between the Lines
Chapter 115 - Return to Dust
Chapter 116 - Lichless City
Chapter 117 - Whining Woods
Chapter 118 - The Old Gang
Chapter 119 - Forever Alone
Chapter 120 - The Sorcerer and the Wizard
Chapter 121 - Summoners Rule
Chapter 122 - Deadly Marilith
Chapter 123 - Imprisoned One
Chapter 124 - Free the Genie
Chapter 125 - Suldanessellar
Chapter 126 - Irenicus
Chapter 127 - Merciful Victories
Chapter 128 - Time of Prophecy
Chapter 129 - Paranoia at Saradush
Chapter 130 - Marching Mountains
Chapter 131 - Burning Yaga-Shura
Chapter 132 - Symm Haximus
Chapter 133 - Amkethran
Chapter 134 - Unexpected Aid
Chapter 135 - Slave Rebellion
Chapter 136 - Mirrors of Sendai 
Chapter 137 - Biting Back
Chapter 138 - Abazigal's Bath Time
Chapter 139 - Preparation is Half the Battle
Chapter 140 - The Big M
Chapter 141 - Test of Ravaging
Chapter 142 - The Hardest Fight
Chapter 143 - Not Winning
Chapter 144 - Contingencies
Chapter 145 - The Last Well
Chapter 146 - Charming Lady of Murder 

Book 4 - Icewind Dale
Chapter 147 - Cold Turkey
Chapter 148 - Spirit of Auril
Chapter 149 - Lizard People
Chapter 150 - Goddess of Snakes
Chapter 151 - Severed Hand
Chapter 152 - Museum of Stupid
Chapter 153 - Big Bluff
Chapter 154 - String Cutter
Chapter 155 - Sofie the Soft Hearted 
Chapter 156 - Lonely Banished Wood
Chapter 157 - Gloomfrost Reflection
Chapter 158 - Chaos Court
Chapter 159 - Ghosting the Spirits
Chapter 160 - Luremoron
Chapter 161 - Superior Numbers
Chapter 162 - Almost the Last Lieutenant
Chapter 163 - A Previous Victory

Book 5 - Enderal
Chapter 164 - Dead Weight
Chapter 165 - Lost Ones
Chapter 166 - Riverville
Chapter 167 - Across the Mountain
Chapter 168 - Bad Guys can't Jump
Chapter 169 - Sticky Fever
Chapter 170 - Firefighting
Chapter 171 - Lawbreaker of Justice
Chapter 172 - Treomar
Chapter 173 - Arkham
Chapter 174 - The Journey North
Chapter 175 - Starship Trooper
Chapter 176 - Arena Upset
Chapter 177 - Selection by Drinking
Chapter 178 - Kidnappers
Chapter 179 - Temple of Abomination
Chapter 180 - Winning until you Lose
Chapter 181 - A Sandy Vacation
Chapter 182 - You're F-Hired!
Chapter 183 - Teammates
Chapter 184 - Pulling Our Strings
Chapter 185 - The Petrified
Chapter 186 - Top of the List 
Chapter 187 - Meeting Sneaking
Chapter 188 - Undertrain
Chapter 189 - The Cycle
Chapter 190 - Wishbreaker
Chapter 191 - What they do in the Shadows
Chapter 192 - Ark Siege
Chapter 193 - Mile High
Chapter 194 - Contingencies Activated
Chapter 195 - Loyalties 
Chapter 196 - Numinos
Chapter 197 - History Repeating
Chapter 198 - Explosive Finale 

Book 6 - Eschalon
Chapter 199 - Sleepy Ruins
Chapter 200 - The Runner
Chapter 201 - A Letter to Yourself
Chapter 202 - Double Edged
Chapter 203 - The Bridges
Chapter 204 - Trials of Shadowmirk
Chapter 205 - Gramuk!?
Chapter 206 - Bastion Gem

Book 7 - For the King
Chapter 207 - To get a Boat
Chapter 208 - Magic Hair
Chapter 209 - A New Priestess
Chapter 210 - The Cult of Chaos
Chapter 211 - Keys and Tentacles
Chapter 212 - The A Team
Chapter 213 - Gnarly Seamen
Chapter 214 - Victorious Defeat

Book 8 - Pillars of Eternity
Chapter 215 - Eder's End
Chapter 216 - Raederic's Removal
Chapter 217 - Durance's Death
Chapter 218 - Kana is Killed
Chapter 219 - Gezzthemin Gutted
Chapter 220 - Pallegina Pummelled
Chapter 221 - Lea Levelled
Chapter 222 - Hiravias Halved
Chapter 223 - Devil Destroyed
Chapter 224 - Dulf Demented

Book 9 - Tyranny
Chapter 225 - The Fatebinders
Chapter 226 - A True Monster
Chapter 227 - The Battle for Ascension
Chapter 228 - The Bane
Chapter 229 - Storm Breaker
Chapter 230 - Of Stone and Fire
Chapter 231 - Of Blood and Hunger
Chapter 232 - Of Secrets and War
Chapter 233 - Fall of the Archons

Book 10 - Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire
Chapter 234 - Caed Nua Crushed
Chapter 235 - Hell in Hasongo, Sayonara in Sayuka
Chapter 236 - Aloth Abandoned
Chapter 237 - Death in the Afterlife
Chapter 238 - Risky Research
Chapter 239 - Merchants Murdered
Chapter 240 - The Loyal Crew

Book 11 - Pathfinder: Kingmaker
Chapter 241 - Aldori's Heroes
Chapter 242 - Lord of the Stolen Lands
Chapter 243 - Trolling the Baron
Chapter 244 - Cursed Contagion
Chapter 245 - Eye Spy Vordakai
Chapter 246 - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Traitor
Chapter 247 - Tournament of Kings
Chapter 248 - Faeking Hell
Chapter 249 - Fairy Tale

Book 12 - Thea 2: The Shattering
Chapter 250 - Retinue
Chapter 251 - Red Ridge
Chapter 252 - Iceland
Chapter 253 - Strength
Chapter 254 - Dark Hearts
Chapter 255 - Settling

Book 13 - Wildermyth
Chapter 256 - The Cockatrices
Chapter 257 - Mindflayer Naga
Chapter 258 - Cavern Heist
Chapter 259 - It's Raining Frogs
Chapter 260 - What the Duck
Chapter 261 - The Woof and the Wardrobe
Chapter 262 - The Evil Robodead
Chapter 263 - Core of the Problem
Chapter 264 - How deep is your Cult?
Chapter 265 - Turtling
Chapter 266 - Inside at Last
Chapter 267 - Bugging the People
Chapter 268 - The Revengers
Chapter 269 - The Mothqueen
Chapter 270 - Bury the Tower
Chapter 271 - The Cocks
Chapter 272 - Circus Freak
Chapter 273 - Lizard Wizard
Chapter 274 - Suicidal Dragon
Chapter 275 - Merc War
Chapter 276 - No Good Bot
Chapter 277 - The Vulture
Chapter 278 - Gorgons Return
Chapter 279 - The Silent Pit

Book 14 - Fort Triumph
Chapter 280 - The Assassin is You
Chapter 281 - Backstabbing Everybody
Chapter 282 - No Comeuppance

Book 15 - Dark Deity
Chapter 282 - Spear Dancer
Chapter 283 - Royal Bluff
Chapter 284 - Fireball to the Face
Chapter 285 - Crossing Field
Chapter 286 - One Finger Discount
Chapter 287 - The Mountain
Chapter 288 - Ash-Again
Chapter 289 - The Long List

Book 16 - Clarent Saga Tactics
Chapter 290 - Siegfried lives!
Chapter 291 - The Second Bastard
Chapter 292 - Broken Crowns
Chapter 293 - Time Travelers
Chapter 294 - Clarent in Space

Book 17 - Baldur's Gate 3
Chapter 295 - Little Tadpoles
Chapter 296 - Goblin's Lair
Chapter 297 - The Buffet
Chapter 298 - Left or R... Yeah, we're going Left
Chapter 299 - Interesting Condition
Chapter 300 - Wrong Way
Chapter 301 - Training
Chapter 302 - It's just a Hobby
Chapter 303 - Turning to Shit
Chapter 304 - The Transformers
Chapter 305 - Making Alliances
Chapter 306 - Trading Up
Chapter 307 - Obliteration

Book 18 - Dragonheir: Silent Gods
Chapter 308 - What the heck is this?
Chapter 309 - Elf-landia
Chapter 310 - Mt. Trollabar
Chapter 311 - Fey Dragon
Chapter 312 - Legendary Luck
Chapter 313 - Season of Darkness
Chapter 314 - Elemental 100
Chapter 315 - You need an Army
Chapter 316 - Better than Before
Chapter 317 - Sailing Away

Monday, 25 April 2016

Thea: Last Memory

[Part of the Darklands of Arkania Story.]

With only Screaming Monk and Plushie Mostly left in the village, they are surprised to see the enemy forces inexplicably wander off. While they desperately try repair the walls they suddenly notice the drinking water has again been poisoned. Damn it, it was Thurazz all along! Both suffering from heavy poisoning there is no recourse but to try make the run to the herbalist hut as was done before, but since leaving the village unattended means ending the game, Screaming Monk tells Plushie Mostly "Go ahead, I'll be right behind you."

Plushie literally runs for her life, knowing that the odds of Screaming Monk surviving the poison before she gets back are slim. It's when she reaches the door to the herbalist that she hears the echo of the loud war drums, knowing that the orc army (most likely led again by Thurazz) had returned to the Memorial Ground.

The end.

With only one Screaming Monk in their way, the orcs claimed an easy victory and destroyed the village, once and for all. I can only assume Screaming Monk fought as hard as Lu Bu in this clip, complete with operatic singing, before being taken down. Either way, Plushie Mostly knew that she now had no home to go back to. After being cured by the herbalist it would be time to move away from these orc infested lands. This is turn 410.

That's the end of the story for now, thank you for reading!

Sunday, 24 April 2016

Thea: Thurazz's Hammer

[Part of the Darklands of Arkania Story.]

The Catching Fire squad assault the orc camp successfully, finding the orc witch leader and I imagine doing nasty things to her in revenge for taking down their own witch, Natalie Patalie, back at the Memorial Ground just a few days before. This act must really piss off the orcs as they go into a full offensive, slamming the Catching Fire team from every direction. Elfi, David DM and Gnome Spy are slain in the skirmishes. Xinrae also falls prey to random Striga who pounce on the weakened group.

It goes much worse for the Memorial Ground where the orc Thurazz has assembled his orc horde and absolutely slams the village: slaying Thorgrim, Tacktix TLC, Rhino, Bec Jinx, Tyranno Dorkus, Elio and Tough Bat in the initial assault. Badly wounded, Ancient Gamer and Chief Talarian Design somehow fight them off.

Ouch...!

Ancient Gamer dies of his wounds the next night, leaving only the badly wounded Chief Talarian in the village. Seeing the smoke in the distance, the Catching Fire team abandons the heavy loot to be able to make the sprint back to town reaching it just in time as another two waves of dragon spiders. Sister Kia, Kamalia, Couch Potato and Chief Talarian are shredded to pieces by the first group. The second group takes War Tome and Fiona Nerd screaming out into the wilderness to feed their young.

Saturday, 23 April 2016

Thea: Catching Fire

[Part of the Darklands of Arkania Story.]

During Kupala Night, Couch Potato gets a vision of fire elementals that he feels the gods want them to find. Chief Talarian is hesitant at letting an expedition leave at this point, especially to such a distant location but the young people, being as they are, are adamant in this path so he lets them form the Catching Fire team, whose members include Couch Potato, Sister Kia, Xinrae, War Tome, Seth Megadirge, Screaming Monk, Plushie Mostly, Kamalia, Gnome Spy, Fiona Nerd, Elio, Elfi and David DM.

Knowing he won't see some of them again, the chief wishes them well and sees to the defenses of the village. Almost as soon as the Catching Fire squad depart the village is set upon by more dragon spiders but they hold without taking casualties - easing Talarian's mind somewhat.

The squad makes good time cross country, evading the many orc patrols and slamming through random bandits who happen to be in the way. Finally they find the fire elementals Couch Potato had seen, but they are no longer aligned with the gods.

Bloody Pyromaniacs...

As a group fully composed of violent, war loving teenagers they do the most logical thing and attack - destroying the heathen elementals. Despite losing Seth Megadirge in the battle (he was well roasted), the team refuse to return to town empty handed and set their sights instead on a large orc raiding camp nearby.

Wednesday, 20 April 2016

Thea: Kupala Night

[Part of the Darklands of Arkania Story.]

At Memorial Ground the next group of warriors come of age: Elio, Elfi, Vidyala, War Tome and Gnome Spy. These are supplemented by more travelers hearing the tales of Talarian: Bec Jinx, Kamalia and the strangest member yet: "Tough Bat"! Yes, it's a giant bat... who busily goes about helping craft arms and armor at the forge... Ooookay, sure why not.

As Chief Talarian expected, the orcs have begun their offensive - starting by trying to spread a plague in the village. Thanks to their high supplies and in-town herbalist hut, this has absolutely no effect so they instead lure another pack of dragon spiders to attack, all of which are slain. Their allies the werewolves then have their moment, managing to slay the defenseless Dina Farmer. This time the wolves aren't allowed to escape, all being executed due to their arrogance.

This is followed by a wave of undead and finally a small contingent of orcs who manage to end Natalie Patalie with an arrow to the knee. Still, all these enemies fall before the mighty defenses of the Memorial Ground. In celebration and defiance of the evil still around them, the village celebrates Kupala Night which involves nakedness and fire jumping apparently.

Toplessness is mandatory.

Tuesday, 19 April 2016

Thea: Impending Doom

[Part of the Darklands of Arkania Story.]

The supplies recovered by Team Ardwulf give the Memorial Ground another period of peace during which time the legend of Chief Talarian grows, and more people join: David DM, Fiona Nerd, Dina Farmer, and Sister Kia. Also growing are the children, all following in the warrior footsteps of their chief: Plushie Mostly, Seth Megadirge,  and Screaming Monk.

The chief leads Team Talarian (composed of Tacktix TLC, Tyranno Dorkus, Ancient Gamer, Xinrae, Plushie Mostly, David DM and Liopleureodon) on another lightning raid against nearby slavers and manage to save a child but lose Liopleureodon in the process. More worryingly is the amount of high level orc raiding lairs spotted that are now around the Memorial Site. While they are out, the town is attacked by werewolves! I guess Team Ardwulf didn't get them all...

Damn dogs probably just want the bones in the Graveyard.

The wolf men are upset about the whole slaying of their lair thing, but somehow it is Rhino who scares off the whole pack with silver before any combat even takes place. Soon after, Team Talarian returns to help bolster and upgrade the town defenses for the impending siege. This is turn 300.

Monday, 18 April 2016

Thea: Short Lived

[Part of the Darklands of Arkania Story.]

Some time passes in peace, letting the warriors Liopleureodon, Tyler Edwards, Angie Kawaii, Coriel and Xinrae grow up into fully fledged members of the Memorial Site. With a growing uneasiness at leaving the wilds beyond the walls unchecked, Ardwulf convinces Chief Talarian to let an expedition go out to explore a rumored tower with supplies that might benefit the town. Also, the new blood needs to gain experience if they are to truly be useful later on. Talarian eventually accepts and Team Ardwulf is formed.

With him are Natalie Patalie, Ancient Gamer, Tyler Edwards, Liopleureodon, Coriel and Angie Kawaii. Their first encounter is with Hohlick who wants to play hide and seek, which they do but this time they are rewarded only by Hohlick lightly poisoning Coriel and Ardwulf! A subsequent attack from crazed bee swarms puts an early end to Angie Kawaii's career as she is stung to death.

When they get to the tower they find it is in the middle of being ransacked, so they fight off the looters and rescue the resident sage, Couch Potato, who lets them take what the looters did not. Couch Potato also gives them the location of the werewolf lair so the team attacks it, finding elves to be the masterminds behind the monsters. In the ensuing combat, Tyler Edwards and Ardwulf are killed, as are the evil elves and their pets. The survivors return to town with a large stash of supplies.

Werewolves with Bear friends, naturally.

Sunday, 17 April 2016

Thea: No Safety

[Part of the Darklands of Arkania Story.]

With no time to waste, Team Talarian escapes from the dragon's lair and rushes back to the village but at each turn are faced with hostiles coming out of the wood work. Monstrous bats swarm Alysir and drain him dry and try the same to Ravanel Rising, but since she is undead they instead opt to lift her high into the sky and let gravity finish her off. Needler is swarmed by skeletons at is basically boned to death, and Light Falls is caught and used as food in the web of a dragon spider, which I can only assume is a spider the size of a dragon.

Team Talarian makes it back to man the walls just in time as a group of dragon spiders attacks the village. The arachnids are slain but at the high cost of Fanatic Sword, Spiral Star, Moxie Pally, Burning Octopus and Graev. There are werewolf sightings in the vicinity soon after but before a team can be assembled to hunt them down a fierce storm hits the village leading to more injuries.

Your reward for saving the land! Lol.

With the werewolves out of range, a rebuilt Team Talarian (Talarian, Tacktix TLC, Ardwulf, Ancient Gamer) opt for a lightning raid against some nearby slavers instead, rescuing two children and the witch, Natalie Patalie. They then return to the Memorial Ground and all pitch in to construct stronger defenses, improving the wall just in time to thwart a striga attack. Establishing his position as chief, Talarian Design dictates that no one leave the village walls for their own safety.

Saturday, 16 April 2016

Thea: A Hero's Reward

[Part of the Darklands of Arkania Story.]

With soaring morale after the victory against the Zmey, Team Talarian proceeds to start smashing the goblin camps across the land. They are joined by the elves, Alysir and Burning Octopus (aka the wandering translucent elf), whose curse is lifted thanks to Talarian's magic he learned from Striga Syl. Not long after they also encounter a dreaded black mist, the last of the darkness, combing the land.

Why would it form a face though?

Instead of cowering from it, Team Talarian banishes it once and for all like the true heroes they are! Unfortunately things aren't going as smoothly at the Memorial Ground, whose reward for helping save the world is to be attacked by raiders. While Ardwulf and Tyranno Dorkus fight them off, Curian and Belly Rumbles are slain in the attack. It doesn't help that the slain raiders rise as undead and must be defeated a second time. Fortunately the veteran warrior Ancient Gamer arrives to help.

Team Talarian immediately changes course back to the village but fall into a dragon's lair! It just so happens it's the same weeping dragon as before, only this time - Hohlick shows up and demands the team steal the gold or it will scream and wake the monster up. Talarian agrees to the terms, and despite successfully plundering the hoard, the Hohlick screams anyway, takes the gold and teleports out leaving the squad to face the angry monster which devours both Izlain and Keen before it is killed.

Friday, 15 April 2016

Thea: Zmey You

[Part of the Darklands of Arkania Story.]

Back at the Memorial Site, the number of villagers grows rapidly as a chef healer named Belly Rumbles joins as do the brothers Keen and Graev, and the warriors, Light Falls, Ardwulf and Tyranno Dorkus, come of age. They are also attacked by a strange undead creature - a Viescy, who slays one of the other children.

Team Talarian is sent on the case to stop it, finding its actual grave and then performing a magic ritual to destroy it. The ritual doesn't actually do that, instead it cleanses the monster into a regular person who now wishes to repent and joins the team as Ravanel Rising.

Viescy's are pretty scary!

Ravanel proves her worth as she leads Team Talarian to some nearby slavers whom they easily dispatch and save a captive child. With this sudden influx of people Talarian decides it is time to take the fight to Zmey, so his team returns to the village and leaves only Thorgrim, Belly Rumbles, Curian, and Rhino to be defended by Ardwulf and Tyranno Dorkus.

Needler, Striga Syl, Moxie Pally, Fanatic Sword, Tacktix TLC, Ravanel Rising, Izlain Backwood, Pineconettes, Spiral Star, Keen, Graev, Light Falls gear up and follow Talarian to Zmey's lair for an epic showdown.

As epic as a card game can be anyway.

While Pineconettes and Striga Syl are slain in the fight, the battle is won and Zmey and his snake minions are defeated. Talarian then chooses to plant the cosmic seed to return the world to the light and it immediately becomes shielded by a magical field. During this time, the orc witch is seen on the opposite side of this field trying to break through to no avail. Talarian knows that this will eventually doom her race to be hunted once more but he doesn't care. Victory for the light! VICTORY FOR TEAM TALARIAN!

Thursday, 14 April 2016

Thea: Unexpected Actions

[Part of the Darklands of Arkania Story.]

Team Talarian track the drake to Vavelin Castle where they meet a peculiar man named Needler who is selling shoes and also offering to slay the beast for a price: a wife. Needler apparently knows the drakes weakness so the team agrees to let him exploit it. The weakness turns out to be sheep, and after eating one left as sacrifice the drake ludicrously fills with gas and explodes. I'm not kidding. :P

Of course, Talarian isn't in the business of arranged marriages so instead he convinces Needler (a sage) to join the team and maybe earn a wife the normal way. They then play some hide and seek with Hohlick (the rat-poodle fairy demon) who gives them a magic doll for their trouble and soon after encounter some refugees who unload more children on them, saying the kids won't survive the trek. They also mention where their old village was, not too far from the Memorial Site.

Upon reaching it they find its been over run by orcs, so doing what they do best, they assassinate the scum and loot all the stuff before saving yet another child from a wolf pack. Striga Syl surmises that the recent influx of children has something to do with Hohlick's magic doll. That night they are jumped by dwarf bandits from the nearby mithril mine, but the bandits are talked down and even share a meal with the team before returning to their underground home.

Peace is the answer...?

With their guard down, Talarian decides this is the best time to follow them in and slay them. MUAHAHAHAH! Did you really think I'd let criminals LIVE!? The dwarves are out of luck this time as the team murders them efficiently and proceeds to haul all their valuables back to the village.

Wednesday, 13 April 2016

Thea: Team Talarian

[Part of the Darklands of Arkania Story.]

With Cooper dead, it now falls on Talarian - the most veteran of the Memorial Ground villagers to form a squad, and so Team Talarian is born: composed of Harika, Striga Syl, Korima, Moxie Pally and Tacktix TLC. On their first outing they find a magically shielded tree and attempt to dispel the shield. Striga Syl succeeds, teaching Talarian some magic in the process and finding that the shield was actually protecting Spiral Star and Pineconettes who happily rejoin!

They then find the new lair of Zmey, and this time, since I'm not using auto resolve - I see just how overpowered the great serpent is. Without a hope to defeat it just yet, Team Talarian backs off and instead focuses on neutralizing the numerous abomination army camps that are becoming prevalent in the region. During one such assault, Harika and Korima are slain.

It's not good news at Memorial Ground either where a drake has captured and consumed two of the children. Rhino spotted which direction it fled in though, so after Team Talarian switched out Moxie Pally and Spiral Star to village guard duty for Fanatic Sword and Izlain Backwood, they were hot on the trail of the winged beast.

It looks kind of cute!

Tuesday, 12 April 2016

Thea: The Leech Lord

[Part of the Darklands of Arkania Story.]

To hunt the Leech Lord, Cooper Team first returns to the Memorial Ground to gear up and get reinforcements in the form of Korima, Moxie Pally, Tacktix TLC and recent newcomer Izlain Backwood. Learning from last time, the rest of the villagers stay put while the chase commences, and a short chase it is too. Now is a good time to mention that due to my absolute dislike of the "card challenge system" this game has which happens whenever you fight, explore, converse and the like I've been simply Auto-Resolving every encounter up until now.

Realizing that the game is probably weighted against the player, this turns out to be my first actively participated "card battle". For a first timer it goes rather well I think, and while Cooper Team all take injuries, they are ultimately victorious - restoring some power to the Night God Horos, who for some reason rewards people at the village (Curian, Rhino and Harika) with leech (life drain) abilities. Horos also commands a newly formed striga mistress to join Cooper Team: Striga Syl (who was actually the first casualty of this tale)!

It is not all good news however, as during the night Mama Cori, Vayshen Panda and Cooper Mantly succumb to their wounds and die.

Saving throw = failed.

Monday, 11 April 2016

Thea: Not going to "Let it Go"

[Part of the Darklands of Arkania Story.]

Fortunately it seems the herbalist from Hermit's Lake had also moved nearby, so while Cooper Team holds down the fort at the Memorial Ground the rest of the villagers make the run there and pay in food to be cured. The plan is successful and the mostly non-combat villagers are lucky to not encounter anything during their travels. Once they are back, Cooper Team explores the Ice Tower right beside their village and find Princess Zuzanna already in there, trapped by her own lackeys.

Just leave our prisoner alone!

They are willing to spend their undeath to keep her trapped within the tower, and she proposes a counter offer of riches for Cooper Team to help free her instead. Cooper refuses, and leaves the cruel princess to rot there for eternity. They then go on patrol, poisoning spider hives, assassinating bandits, helping a wandering translucent elf with food and finding a mithril mine filled with tough dwarves (who successfully defend their territory).

It is around this time that they finally come across the trail of the Leech Lord once again.