Tyrant's Grasp AP

You died once and were sent back. The dead stir, a god has fallen, and only those who know death can stop the end of all things.

The overall theme of Tyrant’s Grasp is survival horror. The player characters will often find themselves in desperate circumstances with limited resources, particularly during the first few adventures. Terrible tragedies are destined to occur as the events of Tyrant’s Grasp unfold; often, your objective isn’t to prevent these disasters, but to survive them and to display heroism and resourcefulness in their wake. Circumstances will compel the player characters to leave Roslar’s Coffer much sooner than you might expect, so characters prepared to travel across Lastwall and beyond are the best fit for this Adventure Path.

The Plot

We're skipping Book 1 entirely, because this dungeon crawl would kill the game faster than we think. We'll start with Book 2, Eulogy for the Rosslar's Coffer.

The characters have come to Rosslar's Coffer for one reason or another—or perhaps they're from there. That's your choice. One evening, everyone is preparing to go to bed when the night sky suddenly erupts in a blinding white light, followed by... darkness.

The characters die.

Somehow, however, they return to life. As the adventure begins, the PCs witness the first rays of morning sunlight and feel renewed and refreshed, as though awakening from a long and peaceful slumber. Yet the world they awaken to is far from the one they remember. A completely destroyed town and unexpected dangers await them.

They don't know what happened. They don't know why they have returned. And they certainly don't know who—or what—is behind it all.

Who are the PC’s?

Player characters might be members of the militia dispatched by Lastwall to guard the border, part of the displaced church of Sarenrae, pilgrims visiting the crypt, Pathfinders surveying the temple after their superiors departed, traders, or officials from Vigil. Ideally at least one character is a local—either a lifelong resident or someone who settled in the area as part of the post–Twisted Nail reconstruction. Those PCs who do not hail directly from Roslar’s Coffer or Lastwall should at least have a strong interest in the legacy of the Whispering Tyrant and the Whispering Way and hope to minimize the damage these vile forces can inflict on the world.

The overall concept of Tyrant’s Grasp—a resurgence of the Whispering Way and their new weapon of mass destruction— is one that likely appeals to a vast variety of characters, but how do you pick just one concept, and what will best fit with the campaign’s challenges and mood? Despite the large scope of the storyline, most of the challenges are personal and immediate— the Whispering Way and other minions of Tar-Baphon threaten the PCs directly and personally, and in uncovering and stopping their plot, the PCs will delve into ancient ruins, devastated landscapes, and secret strongholds with nothing to protect them beyond courage and a sturdy shield. The PCs will need to rely on themselves and their fellow adventurers rather than armies or the social order.

What should you know before applying for this game?

I would like a minimum of 2 posts per week. However, if the players post more frequently than that, I'll do my best to match the pace they set.

At the same time, I know that life happens, and if you're going to be unable to post on time, please let me know in the OOC thread so I know you're away.

To prevent combat from dragging on for weeks, during encounters with enemies you must post at least once every 24 hours (once every 48 hours on weekends). I'll be using Google Drawings for maps.

I've removed a fair number of combat encounters while consolidating others into slightly larger fights. Particularly at the beginning, I want the game to be more about exploration and discovery. I prefer writing, talking, puzzles, mysteries, and solving riddles to the slow grind of Play-by-Post combat.

Please, no one-liners (during combat, they're acceptable). I know it's sometimes hard to write much, but you can always include your character's thoughts or feelings about the situation they're in.

Here is what players can expect from this adventure:

• Rich roleplaying opportunities

• Investigations

• Survival in extreme conditions

• Epic boss fights

• Exploration of unique dungeons, haunted cities, forgotten tombs, and war-torn landscapes

• A true test of heroism