Penchant

Event - Splicing Always Leads to Trouble Set under Signs of Something Different In the Peoples Republic of China a new leap forward in genetic engineering is achieved using CRISPR and an unusual DNA strand never before documented (recovered from a Zone). Human test patients subjected to the unorthodox (and illegal) gene therapy experience massive improvements to health and physical capabilities. Talks of a Super Soldier serum are bandied about in hushed and excited tones before the side effects make themselves apparent. At a rapid rate subjects develop tumors, psychological abnormalities and rapid aging as their genes tear themselves apart. Only the depraved use such things intentionally... but that does not mean there is a lack of willing parties to do so.

Done

I'm still dallying around and working on my cohort/minder :D. How much will our houses factor into the game? We don't have to pay for common gear, but should we have that written down on our sheets or can we just pull stuff out of the Cohort of holding?

As the shots ring out and explosions rumble the ground, several of the wights go down right away. The rest rush the group with their bowie knives trying to draw blood but seem ineffective. Eddie cackles with mad glee and babbles something in tongues (casts a spell). The spell reaches out and swipes at Luce but it misses the target. This puts Eddie in a sour mood. Ilya shoots Eddie (Hindering shot) for 36 Dayv shoots W8 for 4 Marshal uses grenades W6, W8 makes save Three wights go down. Eddie takes some damage. Luce attacks #8 but misses Sam gets two hits on Eddie for 39 and 30. Eddie is still up. Wights 2, 4, 6 and 8 rush in and Attack Luce. 4 and 8 get shot by Ilya as protection. No hits on Luce Wight 7 moves to attack Marshal but does not hit. Eddie casts a spell at Luce but a Nat 1 misses.

The Skeleboss is hit again, now having taken two hearts of damage. The Skeleboss swipes at Rhyme with one fist...

With the demons falling one by one, it comes down to the last two. The party slashes, hacks and pummels the bits of animate nothings until they become inanimate nothings and they disperse into the darkness. The battlefield grows quiet with only the distant sounds of war wafting over the remains of the village in front of the walls. The areas of shadow wink out revealing the overcast and stormy skies above. The city gates open and the garrison runs out taking positions on the field, in case any more of the lesser demons find their way over and an emissary trots to greet the party. "Hail, Holy heroes! Welcome. We are glad for so many of the Blessed to come to the city's aid. There are more of you on the Western and southern fronts but many have fallen in the day's battle. Come, you need relief by your appearance. The garrison will hold while we shift forces to close this gap that you have created." The emissary leads the party in through the gates. From what you see of the city, there was much fighting within the walls as well which is not surprising given the number of fliers in the ranks of the damned. You are led to an Inn which has been turned into a base by the army and there is a large map of the kingdom laid on on the main table. From the figures and markers on the map, things are bad but not hopeless. About a quarter of the towns and cities in the kingdom are marked lost with another half still under active siege. There are a motley collection of adventurers and hero types laying about in chairs and on cots, all battered and bruised. These are the elites of the adventurer breed and several of them shine with the holy light of the Chosen ones as you all do. The party levels up! As before you will gain gear and supplies equivalent to bring up to your new WBL so you can start planning that now. Quake will leave to join another group and you are free to meet the replacement in however manner you like to narrate.

Woo Hoo! Partay! Does anybody want to be related to anybody else? Noble family lines tend to be quite intertwined.

Silvermane nods, "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. I'm with you guys. Hey is anybody hurt? You all looked a bit roughed up but nobody looks to be actively bleeding. I can fix any injuries you've picked up on your way up here. I imagine it was a bit of an ordeal." It'd be hard to assess exactly what's an injury and what's 'character' without having seen what they look like hale and hearty. Regardless he falls in line at the back of the group, not yet sure what the order is that they've established. They seem affable enough and he was glad that none of the group were actively aggressive towards him.

The Skeleboss is hit! His defense turns out to be 12

Yeah, I was going to go with a Bene Gesserit sister. Hmm, I think a Lurk would be good (I think it's in Complete Psionic). Psionic rogue type. That would be appropriate.

Yeah, I'm a team player. My thought was that she would be ruthless but civilized. Fully willing to work together in the pursuit of power. No backstabbing or pvp. Of course I'm willing to just make her good if you like. I'm still in character creation mode at this point. I will work on a writeup of the house. Meanwhile... House Corrino Flag:

What are the rules for Cohort generation? Stats, WBL etc?

Alright, Parley ends. Combat starts now! You all have your actions.

House Corrino Baron Shaddam IV rules the barony with an iron fist. First established by his great grand father, the house is built upon alliances and it's own trade as a mercantile magnate. It has favorable relations with the Molten Baronies and often plays one against the other. One of the lucrative contacts it has is with distant Basilica and the trade of spices like Tumeric, Myrrh, Marjoram and Pepper.

Lanai Ilyan Concertina of House Corrino Warlock Human Appearance Lanai is immaculately put together. Everything from her hair to her outfit is designed to project power and confidence. Her neutral expression with a slight smile hints at many secrets within. Though human, she has a slightly otherworldly quality to her. Backstory Born into the House Harkonnen, Lanai was married into House Corrino and sent to Caladan to live. She was then given to and raised by the Bene Gesserit school in distant Basilica. There she learned many of the low level secrets of the sisterhood. She was trained in diplomacy and etiquette, court intrigue and the basics of magic. She also learned that she had been a part of the Bene Gesserit breeding program and had supernatural influences inserted into her bloodline. These powers were carefully matured and developed in line with the unknowable machinations of the Bene Gesserit's plans within plans. Lanai knows she has to navigate the complex political terrain to avoid being a minor tool of the powerful and is always looking for an opportunity to ascend in power. She does not want a simple political marriage but wants to rule on her own merits. Cohort Sinesta Latrice, Human Lurk Lvl 5 Sinestra has been attached to Lanai for five years. She is born of House Corrino and is a Bene Gesserit sister in good standing.

"Well find the next answer in the necromancer's fortress, of course. Although I don't think you're going to get that far." "Don't think of it as me killing you. Think of it as.. me liberating you from your meat cages. Remember, there's always one of us and every one of you."

As the party organizes themselves, the ship is rocked by another explosion. There is a high pitched whining sound from below and the controls go dead. Kelly sees a tiny glowing orb emerge from the heat distortion and fly past his sensor and his vision goes white. Gradually his vision returns and there is more fire The party is up!

"Oh well, I'm the boss but I am also The Boss. It's just sort of necessary to stomp you into little puddles of goo. It's what I do. Why does a painter paint? You might consider me an artist in homicide. Of course it would be ever so much easier if you come at me one at a time rather than gang up on me in such an unsportsmanlike way. I'd appreciate it if you formed a line. I promise to raise you as Skeleguys afterwards, if that is any consolation. I need to replace any that you destroyed on your way in, after all." "Well of course you're trespassers. I live here, you do not, ipso facto, you are trespassing. As for being dead, that's terribly inconvenient. Would you like to be dead? I don't think so. If I'm given a chance to keep on keepin' on, then I'm going to be grateful for it." "Now, is there anything else before we begin with the formalities of your demise?"

Sunna attacks but hits only shadows Sabrael casts Glitterdust, revealing one Demon Quake takes an AoO for 13 damage and does 55 damage to Demon. It dies. Shadow Demon 2 bites and claws Archon, Archon dies. SD takes 5' step as it claws Sunna for 4 Damage. Shadow Demon 3 takes 5' step to flank Sunna and full attacks. She takes 27 points of damage. The party is up!

Kelly can see that the aft lower deck is on fire with one of the doorways blown open. He is also able to see a hazy shimmering heat distortion just outside the ship. He's not sure but he has a hunch that it's humanoid in shape. (As per the invisible creature rules).

Having completed the sidequest, the party ventures deeper into the graveyard which is still shrouded in mists. Here, crows can be seen in the trees expectantly waiting to see what will happen.. and if there will be a meal available soon. They encounter other small groups of skelemen that are easily defeated and the group gets into the rhythm of combat as their experience pools slowly start to fill. The party comes to a horrifying edifice. There is a mound built of bones with a post sticking out of it. It is shrouded in gore Diablo style and a large skull sits atop it, grinning at them in the way that only a skull can. A glowing arcane circle rings the mound casting an eerie blue light on the area. As the party approaches, the pile of bones swirls and coalesces into a large skeleman which grabs the skull and plunks it atop it's shoulders. The title floating above it's head reads 'Malkaban - Skeleboss'. "Trespassers! I will seal your doom!" The party may act first! There are three zones in a line. The zone the party is in, an empty zone in the middle and the zone the boss is in.

Luce vanishes and moves out of the saloon as the wights stream out after her. They spread out looking for signs of her (double moves) but Eddie takes his time. She hears him mutter something in another language and a shimmering bubble grows from him as he walks out the double doors and stands on the boardwalk. As the bubble washes past her, the invisibility goes down and she finds herself surrounded by wights suddenly aware of her location From the end of the town the party sees human figures pile out of the saloon and then suddenly Luce appears in their midst. DC 18 Spellcraft check to identify Invisibility Purge, a notorious cleric spell The wights have revolvers and Bowie knives and Eddie has a lever action rifle. Begin Round 2, everyone may act.

Rather than wait any longer, I moved Mary's token onto the ship with the rest of the crew. Round 1: Begin! Also, the ship is on fire .

The Atlas Wake is a few miles out of town. You are just returning from a milk run job, delivering a cargo shipment to a nearby encampment. It's not specifically profitable but it does earn some parts that Peggy has been needing for the ship for a little while to fix a little problem before it becomes a big problem. All in all, it's a bit break even but it did get you out of town to stretch your legs a bit. Everyone is in their usual places when there is the *Wump* sound of an explosion below decks and the smell of smoke wafts up into the air. The party has initiative!