Duluth D & D v3.5 Update

Posted in D&D 3.5, Duluth Game on November 23rd, 2006 by Mary

Update Duluth – D & D

Setting: Forgotten Realms

Shadows of Evil

Cast of Characters:

Zookwink Thunderfoot – Male Gnome Ranger

Shadow — Wolf Zook’s companion

Rurik — Male Dwarf Fighter

Thia “Coppertop” — Female Half-Orc Fighter

Acordia — Female Drow Paladin of Elistree

Bellemin “Squishy” –Male Elf Wizard

Lolita –Female Halfling Rogue

Elrich “Dancing Boy” – Male Human Rogue/Cleric of Odin

Shemp — Male Human Cleric

Konga — Male Ogre Special ship fighting gnome

Damen — Male Human Warlock

Marven Urthdar — Female Human Cleric of Torm

Longshot — Male Human Fighter

We open in the courtyard of the Keep of Darvis Pass with Zookwink, Thia, Acordia, Bellimin, Lolita & Elrich. They have been hired to discover what the problem is at the Abby. No one from the Abby has been heard from in a couple of months, and to find out what has happened to the previous patrols sent to the Abby.

Zook inquires with the local rangers guild about safe sites between the Keep and the Abby. He gets a map from them as to where the safe camps are located. He is also warned about the increase in ambushes between the Keep and the Abby. A couple of ambush sites are notated on the map.

The party decides to disguise themselves as a caravan so as to draw out an ambush. We set off with 8 mules and 4 horses and we left after dark. We got to the first ranger safe haven, which is also close to one of the ambush sites. We set up camp and settled in for the night. Watches were set, during first watch Shadow came back carrying a dead kobold. Zook got the location from Shadow of where the kobold was found. (Only good kobold=dead kobold).

Zook and Bellemin climbed up into trees to watch the camp and area. Acordia, Thia, Lolita & Elrich proceed to follow the trail in search of more kobolds. They soon found them eighteen to be exact. Acordia & Thia chased them tirelessly for quite some time. Lolita, “Squishy” & Zook took a few of them out with ranged attacks but the bulk of them were annilated by Thia & Elrich. Acordia meanwhile went on an epic foot race with three kobolds. That eventually she won since the kobolds dropped from exhaustion. Which made “coup de grace” much easier. Two of the kobolds were taken prisoner and questioned. All of the bodies were searched and various kobold type crap was found by all of the party. But of special note, Bellemin found a necklace on one of the bodies, reddish golden circle and the shape of a snake wreathed in a circle. Bellemin put said necklace on and it burned him badly. He took it off and Thia put it on instead, it just chafed Thia. Acordia cast “detect evil” and Thia started glowing due to the necklace. Zook attempted to question the captives, but they wouldn’t talk. Zook climbed up a tree and proceeded to observe and drink. Thia took over the questioning, the kobolds revealed they were working out of a cave nearby, and they should really ask the “dark one” and pointed at Acordia as to what their mission is supposed to be. Through further questioning, the party determined that the monsters inhabiting the cave were responsible for the ambushes. The kobolds also revealed that their priest was receiving orders from the drow at the abby. Thia pressed them to reveal the identities of the other occupants of the cave. The kobolds told of a “hunter” that rode in a chariot behind a horde of hunting dogs that destroyed most of the rest of the kobolds and orcs from the cave. Thia commanded them to bring the others from the cave. They brought back a couple of orcs that got quickly dispatched. Zook and Shadow led the group to the cave where the party camped out.

The next day they entered the cave. The group entered with caution; following the narrow entrance. Lolita found and disabled a trap. When the party entered a larger chamber, they confronted a pair of tables that had been laid across the room. Acordia saw what she thought was movement from behind the tables. Shadow was the first to engage the 4 Gnolls that were hiding. Acordia, Zook, and Thia accounted for three of them, while Shadow finished the other. During this combat, Elrich made a wonderful charge at one of the Gnolls which was successful in that he slid right past the gnoll without touching it. Fortunately for Elrich, Thia threw her greataxe at the same gnoll, killing it. Unfortunately, for Elrich, Thia threw it so well that the axe went through the gnoll, bounced off the floor, and hit him in the leg. After combat was over, Acordia went over towards shadow who had taken a nasty wound. Acordia, did not make it to the wolf, but fell through the floor into the pit underneath.

To Be Continued……….

GM — Duluth

Duluth Gaming

Posted in Duluth Game on September 27th, 2006 by Mary

Hey here’s an update to Duluth’s Gaming group. We have reorganized, and in the process we have realized a few things.

1)We will be unable to continue our currrent Vampire game.(sniff)

2)We will have to change the organization of the “Gallows Hunters”. Hopefully, we will be back on track.(i.e. read this to mean target date is in November 2006.)

3)We have started a new D&D v.3.5 game and I will be posting shortly. Our DM is currently working on background and gaming note from our first few sessions.(I will post this week a so far as he has it thus far……).
4)We also have our GM from Vampire doing a variable meet D&D v.3.5 game.

5) We also have 2 RPGA recognized DM’s, at Herald level, in our group so we will be trying to get some RPGA scenarios running as well. There is no gaurentee that these will be posted here, But I will try to at least let you know if we will be meeting for a RPGA event. Also, any of the Albert Lea or Rochester players you have a standing invite to get your RPGA membership and join us.

So I hope you will check back soon!!!

Regards,

GM — Herald level DM, RPGA — Duluth

Duluth Set backs

Posted in Duluth Game on July 7th, 2006 by Mary

We have had some set backs in Duluth Games but as soon as we get them worked out we will be meeting again……I hope!!!

Some of our members have been having trouble getting the same times off so we can actually game as a group again. This should be resolved with in the next few weeks. I will post as soon as I know when we will be meeting again.

Thanks for your patience,

GM — Duluth

Battletech Update — 09 Apr 06

Posted in BattleTech, Duluth Game on May 16th, 2006 by Mary

Battletech Update – 09 Apr06

I missed a posting…..Ooppps!!!

Imagine That!!

As you know Kurita had asked us to pull out due to a major seismic event happening on planet, this was later identified as half a warship impacting the planet. Kurita paid us off the rest of our contract.

Col. Wilder & his contracting staff managed to get us two new contracts. One of the contracts is for security forces; to protect our client’s interests in the area they will be garrisoned. The other contract is for pirate hunting in the periphery.

Our pirate hunters are: Col. Wilder, Svetlana Tschler, Jes Alyn, Jeordi LaForge, Hiram Blackmoor, & Zhai McShane. Plotting probable locations of the pirate base via sensor readings is how we will determine what planets to check out; we will prioritize them in order of likelihood to contain the base.

We searched a couple of planets one of them had a dual site mining operation. We went down to the mining operation facilities. The first facility appeared to have some type of major battle in the above ground operations areas. This was evidenced by what was a pool of blood and body parts in and near the airlocks. All the heating systems were off line to the facility and there was no power. In the med bay we found a fairly well preserved body. Our Doc is trying to find out cause of death. When we brought portable power units down to find info on the computers we found out they were a gem mining operation. We also found out that there was another site to the west of this one. So while the salvage teams were collecting anything salvageable, we went to investigate the other operation.

The other operation did not appear to have had as much battle take place there. In the crew quarters were found a hand written log suggesting a “secret weapon” with coordinates. So we sent a salvage team to the second mining operation, while we went to check out the coordinates that were listed in the journal. At the coordinates we found a power plant and some type of warehouse. Under the warehouse we found what appeared to be a ‘Mech bay. There were some crates of ammunition and some antique ‘Mech parts. We salvaged all we could from this site as well.

On the next planet we found what, was once a very large civilization, City. Apparently, they entire planet was evacuated in a very through and orderly manner. How do we know this you might ask? Well, the fact that only the buildings are on the planet. No furniture, no computers, no personal belongings, no signs of any type of violence or war, and no trash either.
Finding the pirates is going to be tough! We will find them rest assured of that.

—-Zhai

Vampire Duluth — Session # 4

Posted in Duluth Game, Duluth Story on May 15th, 2006 by Mary

Play Date: 14 May 06

Game Date: 30 Oct 87

Our fearless heroes met up with each other outside of Corpus Christie Church to compare notes and figure out what they will do next. Some of them go find lunch and manage to completely lose control and they are faced with trying to dispose of two bodies again. They load the bodies into Jack’s van and take them to the cemetery and drop them in the crypt that they found the cell phone.

After a short debate they decide to check out the address Miss Opal gave them for Nathaniel Dubois’ old apartment. When they get there they find an old dilapidated building with no power and it doesn’t look as if it’s been occupied in months. Jack and Charles stay with the van; this isn’t a good neighbor hood. The rest go to check out the building.

They enter the building, find Dubois’ old apartment, the Dubois Designs sign is still affixed to the door. Kaspian tries to pick the locks on the door but fails. So Tina just kicks the door open noisy but efficient. The place is deserted, but they find a good stash of Liquor in the cupboards. Upon closer inspection Kaspian finds an old receipt for a liquor store just up the block. Kaspian, Tina, Jessie, & Cecelia went to the liquor store. Kaspian spoke with the clerk and asked if he had seen Nathaniel in lately, the clerk was unsure of when he had been in last. Tina persuaded the clerk to give them Nathaniel’s address after he told her that they deliver to Nathaniel fairly frequently.

They returned to the van, and told Jack and Charles they had an address for Nathaniel. Our group proceeded to the address of Nathaniel’s apartment. Finding a place to park was a complete pain, so Jack let everybody out and he circled the block a few times and found a parking place, but he stayed with the van. Tina and Charles circled around the back of the property to try to climb the fence that surrounds the property. Tina got over the fence with out a hitch but as Charles climbed the fence he was spotted by someone inside the building, who called the Police. Jack hearing the call on the scanner called Tina’s cell phone and warned them the police where on their way to check out an intruder.

In the meantime Kaspian, Jessie & Cecelia were right out front. Jessie picked the cipher lock on the gate and they gained access to the grounds. Kaspian made quick work of the front door lock, as Tina and Charles joined the others at the front of the building. Kaspian got the lock open and they all entered the building. They found Nathaniel’s apartment on the second floor. They knocked and Nathaniel opened the door and invited them into his home.

Nathaniel, who is Kaspian’s sire, told Kaspian he had been expecting him to show up at some point. Kaspian asked why he created him. Nathaniel told him that Sarah Cobbler paid him to,”pick a mortal and Embrace him/her at a specific place and time and then abandon him/her.” The characters decided to let Nathaniel live, Nathaniel being appreciative of this gesture told them he would help them all deal with the adjustment to their new existence. Nathaniel also told them who the other sires are but he didn’t know where any of them except John Harley Matheson could be found. He also did not identify who was whose sire.

One of the names that Nathaniel gave them was Lucas Gates. Kaspian used his contact in the police department and found out that Lucas Gates is wanted in Florida, Mississippi, & Louisiana and is on the FBI’s Most Wanted List. He is nicknamed “The Ghost” by the FBI, because he leaves nothing at any of the crime scenes.

As they were driving Tina got a flash of absolute sadistic pleasure and when it passed she felt completely covered in filth and a keen sense of having completely violated and killed someone. They determined that this had to be blood sympathy in action. So they continued to drive around the area, they all got a flash of Predator’s Taint from down an alleyway. Jack pulled into the alley and they found an adult male in the alley. When the lights from the van hit the male he turned and snarled at our fearless group. As he turned around they saw him drop a male victim. Kaspian, Tina & Jessie get out of the van to talk with this individual; as he turns around to face them they notice he has a badge on his belt. He identifies himself as Detective Peter Lebeaux. They speak with him about Lucas Gates and impart the info that Tina has due to blood sympathy. Peter uses heightened senses and gets the impression of Gates killing a female very quickly then rapidly heads off in the direction of the old Rosewood Motel. Peter warns the characters that Lucas is extremely dangerous and evil is his middle name might be his first and last too.

Jack knows that the Old Rosewood has been converted into apartments, and that this a very dangerous place to go at anytime, but lately the drug dealers have really been infesting the area.

Jack gets a hold of one of his contact in the gangs and places an order for firepower. After, a stop at an all night pawn shop for brass knuckles for Tina and Jessie. Jessie makes a run into Walgreens and buys 8 1 quart glass bottles and a terry cloth towel; she also bought herself a Louisville slugger baseball bat.

While Jessie was shopping Jack’s buddies came through with shotguns some incendiary rounds and a couple of flash bang grenades. Tina & Kaspian took some of the liquor from Nathaniel’s old apartment. So the group makes some Molotov Cocktails and arms themselves for the confrontation to come. Jack text messages Alexander to let him know they have found Lucas Gates in the old Rosewood. Alexander texts back that there is an open Blood hunt on Gates declared by Prince Vidal. And to let him know what happens with Gates.

So the characters enter the Rosewood’s front door. They find three thugs at the back door, guarding the stairway going to the basement. After a brief struggle: one of the thugs is thrown through a wall, one of them has his jugular ripped out, the third one peed his pants and fled down the stairs and the one with his jugular ripped out was thrown at him they both landed in a heap at the base of the steps. Two more thugs attempt to stop our wonderful heroes, but they are flat out intimidated by the guy with blood all over him from ripping out the jugular, Kaspian. So one of them asked where Gates is and they are told that he might be in the building but not for sure. As they head back up the stairs a very emaciated female approaches Charles and tells him Gates is on the 4th floor.

After finding several people living in the building families and the some others just living in the apartments. The characters get to the fourth floor. Tina purposely tries to activate blood sympathy with Gates, she gets a flash of the door to 4D and also the fact that the room has lots of gasoline in containers, and a somehow sadistic pleasure over the inferno that IS gonna happen. Tina tells the rest that he’s in 4D and no fire or spark gasoline is present so be careful. Tina has stated her intention is to beat the crap out of Gates.

They enter 4D and find no one in there. However, Lucas says from the shadow in the corner, “this place is a tinderbox,” and you can hear a Zippo lighter snapping open and closed. Tina attempts to punch Lucas in the face and completely misses him but gets her brass knuckles semi embedded in the wall where he was just standing. Lucas just laughs at her. He picks up one of the gas cans and starts spilling it around the room

Charles is guarding the stairway Jack heads down the stairs and notifies the residents of the building to get out due to a potential fire problem up on 4th floor. He gets everyone out then positions himself outside the windows of the 4D watching them from the ground with a shotgun loaded with incendiary rounds.

Tina again attempts to punch Lucas she grazes him in the shoulder. He drops the gas can & snaps open the Zippo and lights it. Kaspian flees in complete fear of the fire. Just as Kaspian flees 8 thugs are coming up the stairs at Charles. Kaspian in a complete fear frenzy plows through the 8 thugs and bodies and body part go flying over the railings and through walls on his way out of the building. Tina being ever perceptive realizes that Lucas is just barely keeping his fear of the flame in check.

Lucas drops the lit lighter and jumps through one of the windows, Jack aims and fires catching Lucas in the abdomen with the round and igniting the jacket he is wearing. As Lucas hits the ground he rolls with it putting out the flames but he is motionless in the ground.

Jessie makes an awesome grab for the lighter as it is falling to the gasoline soaked floor. She catches and closes the lighter before it can ignite the gasoline all over the floor. Tina being just thoroughly pissed jumps out the window after Lucas. When she gets to the bottom in a complete fit of rage she attacks Lucas thoroughly draining him of his vitae.

“As the last of his blood trickles away down your throat, you feel the taste of ash in your mouth. You know from talking with Father John that it is possible to consume a vampire’s soul, but did a monster like Gates even have one? And then you feel it. You don’t know if you’d call it a soul, exactly, but everything that Gates was, everything that defined him, the strength of will that drove him and the desperate, depraved desire for bloodshed that led him to murder you and God knows how many women, slides into you like the blade of his knife. You consume it, you swallow it, and you draw power from it. You feel your Embrace again, the pain of the murder and the violation of his fangs in your neck…but this time, you feel what he felt. You feel the near-orgasmic pleasure at ending a life, at watching a woman twist in pain beneath you. The part of you that is still you, still Tina, recoils from that, trying to latch onto the years you’ve spent fighting against this sort of horror, fighting to empower yourself.”

Jack contacts Alexander and let him know that Lucas is dead and what proof is Vidal gonna need to prove that Gates is toast. Alexander tells Jack he will get back to him on that, but pictures will be a must.

Just to be safe Cecelia helps Tina through covering up the tracks that he has been bitten by a Vampire they get a shard of wood and stake him and then wrap up the body in some old curtains and move body to van. Alexander calls Jack and tells him Vidal wants to see the body. Jack informs Alexander that they have found two more of Sarah’s experiment and they will bring them with as well.

Our illustrious heroes are now enroute to Vidal’s with the body of Lucas in the back of Jack’s van.

To Be Continued……..

Tina Baker

Posted in Duluth Characters, Duluth Game on May 15th, 2006 by Mary

Vampire Duluth – Character

Name: Tina Baker

Clan: Daeva

Apparent Age: Early 20’s

Tina Baker was raised in a small town in rural Minnesota. She was a bright, athletic child, spending plenty of time outdoors. Her favorite things in the world were skiing and ice skating in the winter; she would spend long summer days swimming and hiking. A basically optimistic person, she was voted best smile in her high school class. She led her cross country team to several regional championships, and was ecstatic the day she got her award letter for a scholorship that would send her to the University of Minnesota for track and field.

She arrived in Minneapolis with the world on a string. The rush of the big city was a heady drug. Unfortunately, few of her friends from her hometown ended up going to college, and the ones who did almost all went to the University in Duluth. Never one to let such things get her down, she immediately began talking to people in her classes. Through this, she discovered that one girl from her high school did indeed end up in the U of M, but it wasn’t someone she would have associated with all that much in school. Ashley was one of the party girls, and was initiated into a sorority. Undaunted by Ashley’s wild girl reputation, Tina joined her in applying to the sorority as a pledge. They both made it through pledge week, and so began a long standing friendship. Not long after being made full members by the sorority, Tina and Ashley were invited to a party being held at a nearby fraternity. Psyched out of their minds, they dressed in their best skirts, and carefully did their hair and makeup. Looking far older than their 18 years, Tina and Ashley set out to take their college by storm. They walked with some of the older girls from the sorority, and kept hearing them giggle about one of the frat jocks.

Eric Jorgenson, the Scandinavian god. Tall and blonde, Eric was the goal of many a sorority girl, and one look made Tina understand why. He had the looks of some Norse deity, and a smile that could melt a fjord in December. At the party, Tina made up her mind. She had never let a goal pass out of her reach, and Eric seemed worthy of the attempt. She sauntered up to him, swaying her hips and putting on her best sexy smile.

“Hi there. I’m Tina,” her voice practically sizzled. “Would you like to dance?”

Eric smiled and led her out onto the dancing area. All night, he flirted and danced, refilling her drink when it was empty. By about one o’clock, Tina was having a hard time standing.

“Here, why don’t you come lay down in my room for a while?” he asked. Tina, unable to do much but accept, went with. Some small voice in the pit of her stomach was whispering, “no,” But she quieted it and put her arm around his neck. Eric laid her down on the bed, and then he lay next to her. Minutes ticked by, stretched into eternities. Tina felt the room begin to dance and sway. Eric put his hand on her leg.

“No, Eric, I don’t feel well. Maybe I should just go home.” The sounds of the party continued unabated below.

“Oh, don’t worry. You’ll like it.” He began to move his hand up. Tina panicked. That small voice became louder. “Eric, I mean it. I’m getting up.” As she tried to stand, the world tilted crazily. “What’s wrong with me?” she whimpered.

“Don’t worry, just relax,” said a voice she recognized as Eric’s, but somehow not Eric’s. It was silky and smooth, a serpent’s hiss. Panic exploded in the pit of her stomach, and she reacted on sheer instinct. Her hand shaped into a claw, she screamed as she swiped at him. Just as she reached up and scraped her nails across his chiseled jaw, her world sank into blackness.

Tina awoke with Ashley standing over her in a hospital bed. She learned that Ashley had heard her scream, and with the help of a couple of younger frat boys, she had burst into Eric’s room. He was expelled from his fraternity the next day, but Tina hadn’t awoke for another twenty four hours. She had been given a mix of several rather potent drugs in small doses over several hours, and it took a long time for them to wear off. Tina could do nothing but shudder at the violation she felt. If it weren’t for the intervention of a great friend, she could have been made a victim surrounded by people. Victim. The word was sour in her mouth. Victim. How she despised the very thought. No, she decided. She would never be a victim.

From that day on, she shaped her life to never be in that situation again. Ashley would sometimes laugh at her for getting her own drinks at parties, or for turning down guys whose only mistake was to find her attractive. Nevertheless, Tina prevailed. She took up a physical education minor, along with her major, sports medicine. She began boxing lessons, and was taught the fine art of brawling by one of the frat boys that helped rescue her that fateful night. Her days were filled with learning, and her nights with physical training. Finally, she made it to her senior year. This was the year of all her hopes. She would be going to grad school soon, away from the watchful eyes of her newfound friends. The thought terrified her and excited her at the same time. She hadn’t been away from Ashley in four long years. She sat all night one night talking about it with Ash, and they decided she should take a trip. She would go on vacation somewhere she had always wanted to go, and she would come back perfectly fine. She decided on New Orleans because while still in the US, and therefore still in the safer parts of the world, it held distinct possibility for adventure.

And so she set out, with only a backpack, her purse, and some basic essentials. If only she had known…………….

Duluth Vampire Game

Posted in Duluth Game on April 17th, 2006 by Mary

Game was canceled for Sunday 16 APR 06. So there is no update available.

Next Sunday we will be starting a D & D Game v.3.5. If anyone is interested let me know and I can get posts for that one too.

Vampire: Duluth — Character

Posted in Duluth Characters, Duluth Game on April 11th, 2006 by Mary

Vampire: Duluth – Character

Name: Cecelia Harrigan

Clan: Daeva

Apparent Age:

Cecelia Harrigan was born to rich parents and a priviledged life. Her parents are both from old money families in New Orleans. Being beautiful, polite and well-mannered were the focus of her upbringing.

She did well in prep school and that led her to college. Her general lack of interest in the simpler parts of life lead her to the white collar pursuit of the legal profession. Being of above average intelligence, her studies came easily to her, but she got little satisfaction from her learning.

The level of social interaction involved in her job is the only thing she likes about it. She enjoys the game, and the dance of words in the courtroom. Cecelia depends on the money from her job to keep her in the lifestyle to which she is accustomed.

She has been rising up the ladder in her firm fairly quickly more out of her greed then her skill or sense of professional pride.

Her personal life is empty of any real attachments. Her apartment is beautifully kept and furnished but feels unlived in.

Becoming a vampire pulled her into a new world, where the rules seem to be the same as the old. Power is there to be earned. If she correctly plays the game.

Vampire Update — Duluth

Posted in Duluth Game, Duluth Story on April 11th, 2006 by Mary

Play Date: 02 Apr 06

Game Date: 29 Oct 87

We open with our heroes meeting with Father John at Corpus Christie Church. They wanted to see if he could identify any of the names they seem to be remembering upon waking each evening. He told them how to find Miss Opal. They have also spent quite a bit of time learning about the condition they find themselves.

Father John and others have been helpful to them in learning about their own makeup. They also found two others that have no clue what happened or how they came to be vampires. Tina Baker & Cecelia Harrigan Our heroes have befriended them and helped them out as much as possible. They have been introduced to Father John and Father John advised them to get them to Vidal soon, but Vidal is busy right now with Andrea and trying to find out what the scene at Corpus Christie was all about. The group agreed that they should do so, when he isn’t so busy.

They are learning about the various talents that seem to be inherent to each of their make up. Like Jack & Charles being able to meld with the earth in the first night.  After meeting with Father John our gang of adventurers decide to split up to search for more information.

Jack & Charles went to the Zoo to talk with the wolves to see if they can find out if the myth of werewolves is real or just a myth. The wolves at the Zoo didn’t know. So Jack & Charles set out to the northwest of the city where they found a fox and talked with him about the rumor. The fox wasn’t really helpful, but he did tell them to beware of the east cause “sharpteeth” live there.

Tina, Cecelia, Edward, & Kaspian went to talk with Miss Opal. They learned where Nathaniel Dubois used to live and are going to check it out. Since that is one of the names that more than one of them seem to remember from what can only be the night of their transformation into the creatures they are now.

To Be Continued….

Update Battletech – Duluth

Posted in BattleTech, Duluth Game on April 3rd, 2006 by Mary

The Gallows Hunters met on 26 Mar 06 and the following are the events that unfolded:

We started out doing some practicing on various skills like shooting and piloting our ‘Mechs. We got into a minor skirmish in with some unknown assasins. Unfortunately, Jordi had a bullet “graze” him in the head, Col. Wilder got shot in the leg and is currently laid up in the med bay aboard the “Hangman”. We found no type of ID’s on the ones we took out in the gunfight, but we did find a fair amouint of House Kurita money on them.

Then persuant to our contract with Kurita we were requested to assist a Kurita lance out in thier engagement with a Steiner Heavy lance. We of course saved the Kuritans. Mikul fell down alot but we still came out victorius. We managed to salvage some of the Steiner ‘mechs: we salvaged a mostly intact Locust, a beat up Jaeger, a beat up Hatchetman. Our techs believe that they can completely salvage the Jaeger, and we are keeping the Locust and all of the ammunition that was available. As per our contract we will be giving the rest to Kurita including our old Locust as thier portion of the salvage.

Upon our arrival back at the dropport base Mikul was given a medal from Kurita for his amusing SNAFU with communications in the field. Mikul had asked Kidd to get him an open frequency to the Steiner lance. When Kidd got him the frequency, unknown to Mikul, it was the command frequency for ALL Steiner forces on the planet. Mikul asked all Steiner Forces to surrender unconditionally to him, the answer was no from the Commander of all Steiner forces in theater. Kurita found it humorous so they awarded him a medal for a valiant effort…Laughs will be had for a long time over that one.

After refit and repairs it was back into the field doing recon work. We ran into a Stiener assault lance and were engaged in battle when a sesmic event struck the planet at about 9 on the richter scale. It knocked part of both lances down to the ground. Mikul radioed back to Col. Wilder on the “Hangman” to find out what happened and he was told to disenegage and give coordinates to the “Rum Runner” for pick up. Kurita is “bugging” out and they want to rendevous with us in orbit.

After the “Rum Runner” picked us up we looted all the supplies left behind by Kurita and other mercenary units. We found out that approximately half a Warship impacted with the planet causing the sesmic event we felt in the field.

To Be Continued……….

Duluth NPC’s

Posted in Duluth Game, Duluth NPC on March 9th, 2006 by enwewn

NPC: Alexander
Clan: Gangrel
Covenent: Lancea Sanctum
Apparent Age: Early-to-Mid 30’s

Alexander doesn’t like some of the things he does in Vidal’s employ, but he is loyal. He remembers when morality & Faith meant much more to him, but that was a long time ago. The circumstances of his Embrace was similar to our group & he sees a lot of himself in them, but he believes they are honestly better off serving Vidal than working against him.

NPC: Andrea
Clan: Nosferatu
Apparent Age: 30’s

Andrea was involved in the plot to Embrace our erstwhile group. Initally she thought it would be a good idea, but was having second thoughts on the night they were Embraced. So much so that she went back for Edward to help him through it and to teach him Kindred ways.

NPC: Father John Marrow
Clan: Daeva
Covenent: Lancea Sanctum
Apparent Age: 40’s

Marrow is a devout priest in both the Kindred and Kine senses of the word. He is also one of the single most-well-informed Kindred in New Orleans. Marrow is firmly in Savoy’s camp. Marrow’s loyalties are unmistakable & well-known. He holds allegiance to Lancea Sanctum first and Antoine Savoy second. So long as the two don’t conflict, he is one of Savoy’s fiercest supporters. He is interested in the most obscure pieces of knowledge & believes that anything & everything might prove useful against hi enemies at some point.

NPC: Augusto Vidal
New Orleans
Clan: Ventrue
Covenant: Lancea Sanctum
Apparent Age: Mid-to-late 30’s

Augusto Vidal’s star has not shifted from the mansion of fortune for two-and-half centuries, and the simple truth is he is growing weary. Unknown to even his closest ally and advisor, he has recently slipped beyond the veil of mortal sustenance and into the dark realm of cannibalism. He has not yet degenerated into actual diablerie, but fears that will come for him very soon, and the pressures to get his affairs in order before that happens is taking a serious toll on him in recent nights.< The truth is that Vidal has spent so long maintaining the grip on the reins of power in New Orleans that he simply doesn’t know how to hand the domain over to someone else. Decades ago he was stripped of the power to sire a worthy successor, and it is proving devastating to the family-obsessed Catholic Ventrue. Vidal is waging a war of attrition against his own sanity. The appearance of weakest has signaled a call to arms amongst his enemies. Even bitter rivals have joined forces against him to take advantage of the one time----the only time---- when the great Augusto Vidal is at his most vulnerable. Vidal even suspects those closest to him except for his Seneschal, who disappointed him by refuse to run the domain for the time he will be in torpor. Vidal knows that he is on borrowed time, and he struggles nightly with not only what must be done but with how he could have ended up in this situation after so long in control. He had been so careful!!

NPC: Miss Opal
Role: Primogen
Clan: Nosferatu
Covenant: Carthians
Apparent Age: Middle-aged

Miss Opal is regarded among neonates as one of the most accessible of the Domains luminaries. Her dedication to the Carthian cause has won her numerous supporters, and she strives to encourage the impression that any resident Kindred (especially a fellow Carthian) can come to her whenever legitimate need arises.

Miss Opal refused the title of Priscus. It strengthened the relationship she has with Baron Cimitiere, the clan’s true elder in New Orleans, for whom she holds great respect. It showed the rest of the Kindred how dedicated she was to her responsibilities as one of Vidal’s Primogen.

She has spent the better part of 25 years “working” Vidal from within. She knows that her fellow Carthian and Primogen, Coco Duquette, has been unable to accomplish much, given her relative youth and the difficult choices the Prince seems to enjoy giving her. Thus, Miss Opal’s plan is to try to tag team Vidal by making it seem as though she has her eye on either political or ideological matters. In truth she admires Duquette’s passion, while pitying the situation the Mekhet finds herself.

Miss Opal has recently come to the realization that the fortunes of her clan, ever her top priority, are solidly linked to those of the Carthian Movement than she ever before realized. Given Vidal’s crackdown on Baron Cimitiere, it is only a matter of time before clan and cause merge into purpose.

NPC: Philip Maldonato
Role: Seneschal to Vidal
Clan: Mekhet
Covenant: Lancea Sanctum
Apparent Age: Early 40’s

Perhaps the only vampire in New Orleans who is under more pressure than Vidal, Philip has borne the brunt of the responsibility of the domain, especially when it came to cleaning up the Prince’s political messes or image, and as Vidal grows more and more erratic in his behavior his loyal Seneschal must work harder and harder to keeps things from coming apart at the seams.

Maldonato being loyal and a spiritual anchor to Vidal is a role he takes very seriously. What began as a casual alliance, back before they traveled to America. During the chaos of the Seven Years War, rival Kindred tracked Maldonato to Cordoba and set up what amounted to a dragnet that would have ensnared its target before he could escape the city. Vidal aided Maldonado’s disappearance. When Vidal left for Louisiana shortly thereafter, a grateful Maldonato proudly accompanied him and has neither lost that loyalty nor left his service to Vidal. Maldonato believes he owes his unlife to Vidal, and that fact has shaped most of their history together.

Philip feels guilty about not wanting to rule the Domain in Vidal’s absence but he cannot don the mantle of Prince under any circumstances. He fears even he is causing Vidal troubles in most recent nights, Maldonato recently sent word to his contacts within the Mekhet clan, asking for assistance from the Agonistes bloodline, who are famed for their ability to facilitate the transition to and from torpor. He feels that this would be helpful to Vidal, but he has not as yet told Vidal the visitor is coming because he doesn’t know how to Vidal will respond to this news.

Unbenouced to Maldonato, his invitation while honorable, was changed by his contacts in the Old World, and that the person who has arrived to help is not an agonistes, but is actually a Judge form the Sons of Khalil. Depending upon what the Judge sees the domain and the embattled Prince, Maldonato may have just signed Vidal’s death warrant.

Maldonato is noted to greet visitors and take meetings in exquisite custom-tailored suits in muted tones. In private, Maldonato is a child of tradition who prefers loose fitting clothes of his mortal life, and typically walks around barefoot so that he may always feel the ground beneath his feet.

NPC: Coco Duquette
Role: Primogen
Clan: Mekhet
Covenant: Carthians
Apparent Age: Early 20’s

When Vidal extended the offer to Coco to join his Primogen council, Coco suspected some strings would be attached, but she had no idea she’d be in for this. While it has given her the opportunity to bend his ear on occasion, and certainly to be informed as to all the important issues at work in the city, she fears that the truth may be that the appointment did more to neutralize her than to give her an opportunity to use her stirring voice to political advantage.

What puzzles her is that she has never been anything but a true supporter of Augusto Vidal’s. She knows that some vampires in the city actively seek to oust Vidal, and she has always been vocal about how she feels this to be an extremely poor idea in the long run. She, like many others, has always viewed Augusto Vidal as an eternal fixture of the city and, taking that as a given, always framed her ambitions accordingly. Better to make one’s self indispensable to a powerful ruler than to try and bring him down in flames.

With the recent rumors of Vidal’s impending torpor, however, and all the erratic behavior that has accompanied them, Coco is beginning to wonder how best to adapt to the changes going on. One way or another, the truth is Vidal will not be sitting on the throne of New Orleans< much longer. Given her age and politics, she knows she will not be named his successor, she feels she may be able to influence who is named and how that successor plans to actually administrate the domain.

Duluth Session 2

Posted in Duluth Game, Duluth Story on March 9th, 2006 by enwewn

New Orleans
Game Date: 18 Oct 87
Chronicle: TBA
Play Date: 05 Mar 06

We pick up with the players at Corpus Christie Church talking with Father John & Antoine Savoy. Savoyexplains the Kindred Traditions, clans, covenants, Elysium, and what sites are included in Elysium in New Orleans. He answers questions they have. He gives them a map with Elysium sites and other places of interest to Kindred. Savoy also explains Sire/Childe Bond and how it seems to work. Jack adds to info since he knows who his sire is and what that feeling was like.

They left the church in search of their sires through the use of the Sire/Childe Bond. They started out by just cruising up and down the streets of the French Quarter. Kapian & Charles get some weird feelings so they stop out front of the Twilight club. Charles finds a handwritten copy of Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Treasure Island” on one of the book shelves and sits down to peruse the book. Jack & Kaspian “eavesdropped” on four vampires in the back rear corner in an agitated debate. They heard there was some kind of trouble at Corpus Christie Church. They quickly leave the Twilight Club, when they get into Jack’s van they hear the S.W.A.T. team being dispatched to Corpus Christie Church.

While enroute to the church they all get an overwhelming desire to get there ASAP. They arrived to a complete Police blockade. They mingle with the rest of the on-lookers. They notice Vidal, Savoy, Alexander & a female standing across the street from them. Vidal motions for them to join him. He explains that Father John is presumably inside the church, but won’t answer repeated calls to come out.

Our ever zealous group decides to get inside & help Father John. Vidal sends Alexander with them, and advises them to clean up any signs of vampiric activity.

They meet no resistance getting into the church. Might that be because of Vidal’s influence with the police department? The back door of the church is unlocked, when they enter here are obvious signs of a struggle. They find Father John unresponsive at the bottom of the basement stairs. As they continue their search they find several pews overturned in the sanctuary and the font at back of church shoved over and water running down the center aisle. They also notice a black woman who stands up and starts to move towards them.

As she gets closer to Alexander, Jack & Kaspian: Kaspian makes quick work of putting his fear down, Jack struggles a bit with his fear but he doesn’t retreat. Alexander attempts to talk with the woman, Andrea, she just stares “vacantly” at him. Charles moves closer and fights with his fear. Talons appear from Alexander’s fingertips and he lunges at Andrea. She nonchalantly throws him almost to the communion rail, seemingly effortlessly. Charles steps in to try to subdue Andrea. After a short battle Charles and Alexander get her subdued. While this brawl was going on Jack & Kaspian go to retrieve Father John from the foot of the stairs. Alexander calls Vidal to let him know situation is under control & for assistance getting out of the building. Vidal tells him he can’t help them out, but let’s Alexander know it’s going to be tough getting out ‘cause the building is surrounded.

Jack calls Mack from the Crescent City Knights, street gang, asking if he can arrange a diversion in the area of Corpus Christie Church. Mack says, “No problem & you owe me Jack!” The diversion is in the form of tear gas grenades being shot into the mass of cops out front of the church. In the ensuing panic the group makes their escape. In the process, unknown to our erstwhile group Jack is spotted fleeing with Father John in a fireman’s carry by a member of the press who snaps a couple of pictures. They get to Alexander’s car and start heading to the mansion Vidal uses as his offices. While enroute Alexander starts to question Andrea. She tells him that Sarah Cobbler was behind the siring of our characters & two others. She realizes Edward isn’t with them and asks if they searched the church thoroughly; they did but didn’t find anyone but Father John & her. Alexander let’s Jack, Kaspian, Charles, and Andrea out of the car to go find Edward. Also, telling them to meet him the following night at the cemetery where Jack got the phone call from Marie. He says he can stall Vidal but not indefinitely.

They find Edward in the aforementioned cemetery and head to the waterfront to an abandoned ship that Andrea knows about for the day…
To be continued…

Duluth Intro and Session 1

Posted in Duluth Game, Duluth Story on March 9th, 2006 by enwewn

Setting: New Orleans
Game Date: 15 Oct 87
Chronicle: TBA
Play date: 19 Feb 06

We open with our Characters in Louis Armstrong Park; they feel as if something is terribly wrong. The streetlights seem hollow & pale; they are suffering from a hunger they can’t quite figure out. They do know that even their favorite foods don’t sound good to satiate this hunger.

They each realize they are not alone as they look around they see each other. They seem to be drawn to each other. After the introductions are over they hear some partygoers coming from the direction of the French Quarter. As the partiers get closer they seem drawn to the body heat, the sound of heartbeats. Watching the jugular pound with the blood pumping through.

One of them is unable to resist the urge to attack; the others casually grab their prey and feed. We end up with two unconscious victims and one dead body. Fortunately, along comes Father John Morrow he gets them to walk away, he makes scene look like a routine homicide. He gets them to follow him down the street to his church.

Father John explains to them some of their new life, or is it unlife? Then the sheriff, Alexander, arrives and Father John advises them to just cooperate and follow direction as in the long run it will be better for them.

Alexander gets them to get into his car and he drives them to a mansion in the Garden District. He escorts them to a rear door and locks them in the basement to wait for their audience with Prince Vidal. Fortunately, this is a windowless room since they fell into a deep slumber.

Shortly after they awake the next evening, Alexander arrives to escort them to the main floor of the mansion where they meet Prince Vidal. He tells them he will take their confession(s) now. Our really confused players confess to Vidal things they did in their mortal life but they are too ashamed to confess what happened in the Park. Vidal advises them to return to the Park, which he believes to be the site of their Embrace, because maybe through meditation and prayer they can determine who did this. Vidal also tells them if they find out any more information he would like to know. Vidal dismisses them.

Alexander gives them a ride back to Louis< Armstrong Park. Alexander tells them to meet him in about an hour at the cemetery they passed. They spend sometime in the park, but the only clue is that Jack gets a feeling of unease coming from somewhere of to his left. Jacks van is parked nearby; they all pile into Jack’s van and proceed to cemetery. When they get to cemetery Jack’s feeling of unease becomes more pronounced, that he can actually track it to its source. In the back corner of the cemetery they find a circle of blood and that one of the crypt’s lids has been moved. After a short interruption from a local bunch of street hoods, they moved the lid of the crypt and found a bunch of trash bags with women’s clothes in them. They also found a cell phone, when they answered it the woman on the other end asked for Jack. She told him she was sorry and that he needed to be careful because “they were gonna get one of them and she hoped it would be her”…the battery on the cell phone died at that moment. Alexander shows up they tell him what they found and about the phone call. Alexander takes them to Maldanato. Where they relate the whole story again, and he tells them to search the area around the cemetery for clues. He also tells them they need to find a place to stay for the daylight is fast approaching, he tells them to make sure that all sources of sunlight are completely sealed off or they will die from the touch of the sun. They all retire to Kaspian’s apartment. Jack & Charles are mysteriously drawn back out of the apartment to the ground outside where they meld with the ground for their day of slumber. Upon arising, Jack tells the others that he has a woman stuck in his head. “She is a black woman with blonde hair, wearing a small gold crucifix.” They decide that this must have something to do with either the woman that called Jack or how he came to be Kindred. Kaspian decides he is gonna go talk to Det. Mike Rample at the New Orleans Police Department the others are gonna go check out the area around the cemetery and see if they can spot the black woman or see if anyone in the area recognizes her description. Kaspian finds out that the woman is, known to Mike Rample as, a prostitute that works the area just outside the French Quarter & her name is Marie. Kaspian goes to find the others. The others find out that a woman who fits the description of the woman Jack describes is named Mary and is often seen in the area and around “the old burned up physic’s place.” After they all get back together they exchange info and decide to check out the burned out building. After narrowly missing the trap on the back door they enter the building. Buckets of glass are helpful and make wonderful traps. They find Mary inside praying. Jack walks up to her and touches her on the shoulder. She proceeds to tell Jack that she is who created him but that she was blackmailed into doing so. She is very sorry. Jack makes decision to help her stay out of the Prince’s hands but while the players are arguing amongst each other over the wisdom of this decision Mary slips away unnoticed. They go see Father John and are introduced to Antoine Savoy... To Be Continued…

Jack McCandless

Posted in Duluth Characters, Duluth Game on March 5th, 2006 by enwewn

Jack was never exactly handsome, thin of build and very pale. He usually wore simple slacks and shirts usually in earth tones. However, he always wears expensive running shoes when he’s working.

The Embrace has made his features even starker. Where he used to be described as thin, he is now skeletal. He used to be described as pale; now he would be described as extremely, disturbingly lifeless looking, especially under fluorescent lights.

It wasn’t a glamorous work, but until last night Jack McCandless made a good living running envelopes and packages all over New Orleans, and was damned good at it. He knows the city inside and backwards, all the good thing about the French Quarter (which of course is a nightmare to drive through), and the neighborhoods best left alone.

He thinks he strayed into one of those neighborhoods last night, but he doesn’t remember for sure which is very disconcerting to him as he possesses a razor-keen memory. All he remembered was a last minute delivery, and that he was looking forward to going home, having a beer when he saw a really good-looking hooker on the sidewalk…

He still has his van, though, and that’s a big comfort. The package, however is gone, and that worries him for some reason.

Kaspian Corvin

Posted in Duluth Characters, Duluth Game on March 1st, 2006 by enwewn

This is a new character backgrounds for the Duluth game.

Player Character
Kaspian Corvin

Kaspian Corvin was born Jason Corvin in a map dot town in southern Ohio. His mother and father had been rather… ill-equipped to raise children when he was born, and as such, he spent most of his childhood left to his own devices. If anything had been different about his starting point, were it more involvement with his family, a different locale, or something as simple as a few more friends, then he likely would have remained Jason Corvin, and his story would have no reason to be told.

As he aged, the boy’s mind turned to books to fill gaps in his time. And, like any other addiction, his hunger for more only grew. After years, many of them where he was more or less part of the background, Jason officially adopted his name Kaspian, after a very old mariner he’d read about. Although the two of them didn’t have much in common, they did share a bond that mattered. A hunger for knowledge, and to know things that common men and women never even cared to learn.

When he went to college, after making his name change legal, Kaspian discovered one of the greatest puzzles of all. People. He’d never appreciated just how complex or deep (shallow too) that people could be. Unfortunately, though, staying in one place and learning from the pages of his old companions anymore couldn’t satisfy Kaspian. So, after a little bit of thought and time to decide, he packed up shop and rode down south, ending up in a permanent residence a hop, skip, & a jump from the French Quarter in New Orleans.

Ever the resourceful cully. Kaspian managed to get by his first year, when he turned 22, on a combination of looks and luck. So much time spent observing the human condition made him aware of how to judge what he saw, and how to deal with what he still considered to be one of the collective puzzles that was never truly solved.

Unaccustomed, or maybe just not fit for standard work, Kaspian had to get creative. As such, he made due. Genealogy chars made as a free lancer, occasional gossip columns that he’d contribute to, in addition to a few problems solved helped him scrape by. After years of residence, and exploring dozens of avenues that at least helped keep his mind sharp, and which sometimes netted him a consultants fee with the cops, Kaspian finds himself in yet another set of unusual circumstances. No more sunrises, no more front doors, and no more pizza, as he’s want to say with a particularly bitter grin that shows all of his teeth.

Always adaptable, Kaspian accepts things and moves on. He doesn’t know how he got like this, nor does he really care, but things change. Perhaps, once the novelty has worn off, he’ll realize just how royally fucked he is. Then he will try to solve the next of his pet mysteries. Whose fault is this?