Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Random names & businesses
The character generator (you'll find it at the resources tab on this page) has been enhanced with a random name generator (http://generator.appcloud.se/RandomNameList.aspx) and a random business generator (http://generator.appcloud.se/RandomBusinessList.aspx), making life as a Game Master a bit more easy.
If you have any comments or ideas regarding these new functions share them on the Centuria Facebook page!
Monday, August 25, 2014
The Necromancer's Legacy - part 35
Geb finds himself in the ruin city of Aztoth at the heart of the lands of Zhengdi, an ancient kingdom to the east long since lost. As a scholar he is familiar with the land as he has spent much time studying it. Thought to have been destroyed almost 500 years ago it spawned a horde of undead which nearly destroyed the Empire too before they were defeated. It would appear they still have numbers left in the desert, as the state of Zhengdi still exists as an undead state with undead inhabitants. For Geb it is to be no different and after a ritual murder he is bought back and given a new body - the old considered below recruitment standards. He is now an undead creature, but thankts to the unsurpassed skill of the Zhengdi necromancers - themselves undead - his mind is preserved intact and his body is almost life-like, save for a certain paleness.
After the rather extreme employment procedure, Geb is introduced to two experienced servants of the lich-king of Zhengdi, commander Kael of Zhengdi's army and Azela, a member of the King's Blades - the lich-king's personal servants and spies. Together they are bought before the king and the country's undead nobility and given the task to raise the kingdom to new heights and through their actions grant it honor and further its knowledge.
The journey takes them through desert and jungle, Geb experiencing for the first time his undead abilities to completely ignore the weather and any form of fatigue with the group wandering day and night without rest or sleep. His constant insights remind Azela and Kael of their own time among the living, which had faded during years of service to the lich-king.
Arriving at the tomb, Mingone informs them that he expects them to find and return all objects of value to their king. He mentions a powerful guardian which his troops have not managed to deal with - but the guardian will not bother them as long as they do not approach its crypt. For Geb it is a strange thing to experience the same place again in his altered condition, but his scholarly ways soon take precedence over such thoughts. They explore the tomb methodically, finding a few scrolls but little else as Mingone's minions have already done some work. They return to the crystal cave Geb found during his last visit and the suspiscious statue is indeed found to be a trap in the form of a giant gargoyle which transforms from its petrified state and attacks them. The undead trio are however a potent fighting force and destroy it without suffering much damage. Exploring the crystal cave they discover that the water in the cave have healing properties - and are thus harmful to them as undead. They use one of Mingone's minions to get a sample of the water and the crystals and send it to Mingone.
In the last section of the tomb they discover an ancient library which they prepare to have moved back to Aztoth. With Geb's aid they proceed by locating the secret door through which he came and which will lead them to the second tomb. They have a few zombies bash the door to dust, allowing them to enter. They soon find the guardians from which Geb spent his last visit escaping - but they appear oblivious to other undead and they can walk about freely. In the pool of the major crypt they discover a hidden treasure of impressive dimensions and, given that Geb had previously explored the rest of the tomb, they determine that they have found what there is to be found.
Back in Aztoth Mingone is pleased with their progress and informs them he has a new mission for them. On the orders of the lich-king they are to develop a plan on how to best invade the Empire using the passage-way which they have now explored. He provides them with a base of operations within his own palace and awards them 5'000 gold to cover their expenses. Kael sends part of a company of lesser undead to guard the passage, disguised as an escort for the servants returning the library for Geb. The deception is necessary as they do not want the plotting nobility of the country to interfere with their plans.
As time is not considered an issue their next move is to thoroughly study the contents of the library as it is being brought back and to polish some of the skills deemed necessary for the task at hand. Eventually they travel to the tomb with the aim of crossing into the Empire and infiltrate one of the cities beyond.
Thursday, August 21, 2014
The Necromancer's Legacy - part 34
Very carefully Charon, Horacio and Thriatos back away from the sleeping giant bats and head for a tunnel. Thriatos sets off a simple trap and they realize they have reached parts of the caves inhabitet by the goblins. As the trap seems to have alerted them the mages send their imp forward to negotiate and to their surprise it manages to arrange a meeting with the goblin king.
Wandering deeper into the caves, with an increasing number of goblins following them, the mages have second thoughts about whether or not this was a good idea. But they reach the Hall of the King (a slightly larger cave) unmolested and instruct the imp to suggest an alliance with the aim of driving off the humans outside the mountain. After giving it some thought the king agrees, provided that all spoils of war goes to the goblins. The mages find this acceptable but now face the problem of formulating a plan of attack. Eventually they decide that Charon and Horacio will lead a group of goblins each and attack the camp from two directions. Thriatos will return to create havoc from its center.
To not make Esteria and her followers suspicious they return to camp to sleep during the day under the pretence of preparing for a second day of exploration. Victor wakes his masters during the night and Charon and Horacio attempt to sneak out. Charon is helped to climb down by Thriatos using the Staff of Telekinesis while Horacio manage to talk his way past a guard without him suspecting anything is afoot. However, Horacio is not prepared for the two guards keeping an eye on the goblins and they do not buy his hasty excuse for being there. Luckily, the goblins show up and slit the throats of the guards before they are able to resist or give a warning.
Charon encounters a similar situation where a guard is watching the gates of the tomb. He dominates him in time for a second guard to show up, asking what is going on. Using his minion to slay this threat, the battle causes the camp guards to ask what is going on. Again Charon uses his minion to ensure them everything is fine and then the two open the gates for the goblins waiting inside.
The goblins start to position themselves for the attack, but the soldiers of the camp suspect something is going on and have awoken the mages. With a few summoned fire elementals they unleash death on the surprised goblins, but Charon at least manage to have them running towards the enemies rather than flee the battle.
As the action starts Thriatos finds Esteria outside of his tent together with two guards. She asks them to capture him but he backs away and send Victor and Jamal to deal with them - which they do quickly after one of the guards run Victor through only to discover this had little effect. Esteria flee the scene while Thriatos sets about banishing the summoned elementals and throwing pyromantic spells at the guards battling Charon and his goblins.
From further up the mountain side Horacio sees what's going on and commands his force to attack. The soldiers spot the horde as it approaches and tries to set up a defensive line together with the camp miners, but the goblins push through and Horacio wins a stand-off with a defending mage.
Charon's forces take serious casualties and he himself is wounded by two arrows. With an evocation spell he causes one of the guards armor to explode, temporarily opening a gap in the defending line and allowing the goblins to get through while Thriatos, Jamal and Victor start attacking the defenders from behind. Soon the camp followers are running for their lives or loosing them and the smart ones run for the camels while the others die. Thriatos spots Esteria who is fleeing on a camel but fails to stop her before she gets out of range.
As the battle is over the goblins start to pile their loot. Charon aims to give a good impression by healing the wounded goblins that he can find. Thriatos and Horacio are forced to realize their missing amulet is nowhere to be found.
Wandering deeper into the caves, with an increasing number of goblins following them, the mages have second thoughts about whether or not this was a good idea. But they reach the Hall of the King (a slightly larger cave) unmolested and instruct the imp to suggest an alliance with the aim of driving off the humans outside the mountain. After giving it some thought the king agrees, provided that all spoils of war goes to the goblins. The mages find this acceptable but now face the problem of formulating a plan of attack. Eventually they decide that Charon and Horacio will lead a group of goblins each and attack the camp from two directions. Thriatos will return to create havoc from its center.
To not make Esteria and her followers suspicious they return to camp to sleep during the day under the pretence of preparing for a second day of exploration. Victor wakes his masters during the night and Charon and Horacio attempt to sneak out. Charon is helped to climb down by Thriatos using the Staff of Telekinesis while Horacio manage to talk his way past a guard without him suspecting anything is afoot. However, Horacio is not prepared for the two guards keeping an eye on the goblins and they do not buy his hasty excuse for being there. Luckily, the goblins show up and slit the throats of the guards before they are able to resist or give a warning.
Charon encounters a similar situation where a guard is watching the gates of the tomb. He dominates him in time for a second guard to show up, asking what is going on. Using his minion to slay this threat, the battle causes the camp guards to ask what is going on. Again Charon uses his minion to ensure them everything is fine and then the two open the gates for the goblins waiting inside.
The goblins start to position themselves for the attack, but the soldiers of the camp suspect something is going on and have awoken the mages. With a few summoned fire elementals they unleash death on the surprised goblins, but Charon at least manage to have them running towards the enemies rather than flee the battle.
As the action starts Thriatos finds Esteria outside of his tent together with two guards. She asks them to capture him but he backs away and send Victor and Jamal to deal with them - which they do quickly after one of the guards run Victor through only to discover this had little effect. Esteria flee the scene while Thriatos sets about banishing the summoned elementals and throwing pyromantic spells at the guards battling Charon and his goblins.
From further up the mountain side Horacio sees what's going on and commands his force to attack. The soldiers spot the horde as it approaches and tries to set up a defensive line together with the camp miners, but the goblins push through and Horacio wins a stand-off with a defending mage.
Charon's forces take serious casualties and he himself is wounded by two arrows. With an evocation spell he causes one of the guards armor to explode, temporarily opening a gap in the defending line and allowing the goblins to get through while Thriatos, Jamal and Victor start attacking the defenders from behind. Soon the camp followers are running for their lives or loosing them and the smart ones run for the camels while the others die. Thriatos spots Esteria who is fleeing on a camel but fails to stop her before she gets out of range.
As the battle is over the goblins start to pile their loot. Charon aims to give a good impression by healing the wounded goblins that he can find. Thriatos and Horacio are forced to realize their missing amulet is nowhere to be found.
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
The Necromancer's Legacy - part 33
Depraved of their leader, Awhero, Geb and Kaeso nevertheless decide to attempt to complete the mission they were sent on. However, first they bury Ignatia and have a small ceremony, then move their camp into the caves and out of sight.
While Kaeso tries to learn more about their quest from Ignatia's private note book, Geb and Awhero continue to explore the tomb. After finding empty crypts and a storage room left behind by a previous expedition they do come upon a closed door which they cannot open despite several attempts. Resting on the matter all three return in the following morning and successfully open the door to reveal a burial chamber, which contains a sarcophagus but apparently little else. A weak magical resonance still encourage them to investigate. Searching the tomb Kaeso determines the magic is hidden beneath the wrappings of the mummy resting within the sarcophagus. No one is however keen on disturbing the body, so they leave it alone - at least for the time being.
Beyond the chamber they find additional tombs and a corridor blocked by a collapsed ceiling. After clearing a small path they are able to squeeze through, discovering two untouched chambers filled with grave goods such as pottery, scrolls and statues. Geb is fascinated by the scrolls while Kaeso finds a magical armor and a set of magical daggers. Claiming the artifacts and a few of the scrolls they leave the room behind as the corridor is still too unstable to remain safe.
The remainer of the day they spend at the old fortress, which Geb is convinced holds a secret pathway deeper into the mountain. He is proven right when Awhero eventually finds it and it appears to reveal an even older tomb, hidden behind the other structures. They enter a large underground hall, partially filled with water and very damp. A large pool restrict their movement to the intended path, but they still see a raised platform with several sarcophagi at the other end of the hall. Although spotting something in the water as they pass by they decline to investigate as they fear it could be dangerous. However, danger is soon upon them as approaching the sarcophagi awakens the guardians of the tomb. Kaeso is forced to combat a powerful undead wielding a deadly warhammer while Awhero tries to keep more undead from entering the hall behind them. Geb, well aware of his short-comings in a battle, searches feverishly for a way out. He finds a corridor and as Awhero is unable to hold back the advancing zombies they make a run for it. Kaeso luckily manage to disarm his opponent and take its hammer before joining the others in their escape.
As they run deeper into the underground complex they end up on a corridor which stops at a strange door. Opening the door they realize it is a hidden path into yet another section of the tomb and one which can only be opened from the side from which they came. Beyond lies a new corridor and they quickly realize the danger is far from over as the corridor is filled with decomposing corpses. But they reason the danger from behind is more direct, so they close the door behind them in an attempt to fool their pursuers. There is now no way of returning.
With little choice they begin exploring the place which they have reached. The dead are soon determined to be undead fallen in battle - raising the new question of who has battled them in the first place. To the south they discover a large crystal cave hosting an altar and a large, sinister looking statue remining them of some kind of demon. Deciding it definetely feel like a trap they stay clear and instead explore some smaller caves, where they encounter a madman calling himself "You". Who he is and how he came to live in the cave remains unanswered, as too many questions drive the man into a fit and he runs away only to fall into a pit and die. The caves house some grave goods apparently tucked away but no exits - forcing them to return to the tomb and the mangled corpses.
As they explore north they come upon a man dressed all in black. He acts friendly and appears to recognize Geb. As they converse with him it is revealed he is too an undead - a servant of the ancient empire of Zhend. He offers them a choice: to serve his emperor or be killed. As it turns out, serving the emperor requires turning them into undead, so they really see they have little choice. Escorted away by a guard of undead they find themselves outside in an unfamiliar mountain region. Marching east, a sudden landslide provide Awhero and Kaeso with a chance of escape - but they are forced to leave Geb behind while doing so.
While Kaeso tries to learn more about their quest from Ignatia's private note book, Geb and Awhero continue to explore the tomb. After finding empty crypts and a storage room left behind by a previous expedition they do come upon a closed door which they cannot open despite several attempts. Resting on the matter all three return in the following morning and successfully open the door to reveal a burial chamber, which contains a sarcophagus but apparently little else. A weak magical resonance still encourage them to investigate. Searching the tomb Kaeso determines the magic is hidden beneath the wrappings of the mummy resting within the sarcophagus. No one is however keen on disturbing the body, so they leave it alone - at least for the time being.
Beyond the chamber they find additional tombs and a corridor blocked by a collapsed ceiling. After clearing a small path they are able to squeeze through, discovering two untouched chambers filled with grave goods such as pottery, scrolls and statues. Geb is fascinated by the scrolls while Kaeso finds a magical armor and a set of magical daggers. Claiming the artifacts and a few of the scrolls they leave the room behind as the corridor is still too unstable to remain safe.
The remainer of the day they spend at the old fortress, which Geb is convinced holds a secret pathway deeper into the mountain. He is proven right when Awhero eventually finds it and it appears to reveal an even older tomb, hidden behind the other structures. They enter a large underground hall, partially filled with water and very damp. A large pool restrict their movement to the intended path, but they still see a raised platform with several sarcophagi at the other end of the hall. Although spotting something in the water as they pass by they decline to investigate as they fear it could be dangerous. However, danger is soon upon them as approaching the sarcophagi awakens the guardians of the tomb. Kaeso is forced to combat a powerful undead wielding a deadly warhammer while Awhero tries to keep more undead from entering the hall behind them. Geb, well aware of his short-comings in a battle, searches feverishly for a way out. He finds a corridor and as Awhero is unable to hold back the advancing zombies they make a run for it. Kaeso luckily manage to disarm his opponent and take its hammer before joining the others in their escape.
As they run deeper into the underground complex they end up on a corridor which stops at a strange door. Opening the door they realize it is a hidden path into yet another section of the tomb and one which can only be opened from the side from which they came. Beyond lies a new corridor and they quickly realize the danger is far from over as the corridor is filled with decomposing corpses. But they reason the danger from behind is more direct, so they close the door behind them in an attempt to fool their pursuers. There is now no way of returning.
With little choice they begin exploring the place which they have reached. The dead are soon determined to be undead fallen in battle - raising the new question of who has battled them in the first place. To the south they discover a large crystal cave hosting an altar and a large, sinister looking statue remining them of some kind of demon. Deciding it definetely feel like a trap they stay clear and instead explore some smaller caves, where they encounter a madman calling himself "You". Who he is and how he came to live in the cave remains unanswered, as too many questions drive the man into a fit and he runs away only to fall into a pit and die. The caves house some grave goods apparently tucked away but no exits - forcing them to return to the tomb and the mangled corpses.
As they explore north they come upon a man dressed all in black. He acts friendly and appears to recognize Geb. As they converse with him it is revealed he is too an undead - a servant of the ancient empire of Zhend. He offers them a choice: to serve his emperor or be killed. As it turns out, serving the emperor requires turning them into undead, so they really see they have little choice. Escorted away by a guard of undead they find themselves outside in an unfamiliar mountain region. Marching east, a sudden landslide provide Awhero and Kaeso with a chance of escape - but they are forced to leave Geb behind while doing so.
Monday, August 4, 2014
The Necromancer's Legacy - part 32
Charon, Horacio and Thriatos watches through the dust and see a shape rise from the sarcophagus of the old tomb. A creature clad in shining armor and a distinctly magical shield walks towards them with it's sword ready. Charon is quick to react - and immediately makes a run for it. Shocked by this unexpected reaction Horacio and Thriatos are momentarily confused, but realize that without their fellow mage they are unlikely to prevail and hurry after him.
As the mages run back through the grave they hear the sound of more tombs opening. Reaching the entrance they find the doors magically sealed while the other team of excavators are hammering to get out, but with no success. The room is dark but for the few lanterns bought by the group. Horacio takes command and order the two mercenaries accompanying the group to cover one corridor each. Together with the team's mage he summons earth elementals while the others prepare themselves as well as able. The sound of dragged feet is mixed with the clank of steel...
From the corridor to the right they see swords and armor reflecting the lantern light. Four tall figures clad in full body armor and wrapped in mantles marches shoulder by shoulder, each grasping a large two-handed sword. From the other corridor comes a multitude of badly rotting mummies and zombies. Charon and Horacio focus their magic on the armor clad warriors, sending lightning strikes against them. Thriatos is helping against the mummies with flames of fire, proving to be devastating against their old wrappings. The battle has commenced.
One of the mercenaries quickly fall to the four undead warriors, but Horacio takes his place and summons a second earth elemental to hold the line. Thriatos continues to offer fiery death to the mummies, who are never the less pushing closer and closer to the line of workers - but for the moment they hold their ground. At this point they see a figure coming from each of the two corridors. Both are clad in steel and carry silver swords and shields. The defending humans are hard pressed and several fall dead until Charon manage to dominate one of the undead to battle its comrades. The battle swings slowly in their favor, but as one of the silver warriors is bought down the other is soon surrounded - but still requires a hard battle to kill. The last of the mummies are killed off by the dominated undead.
As the corridors return to silence the survivors can relax for the moment, but the gates are still refusing to open. The mage from Esteria's expedition mentions they've found a door, but not any exit. Reluctantly Charon, Horacio and Thriatos are forced to share their knowledge about the goblins and they all agree to travel there, hoping to find a second exit. Luckily, the goblins appear to be elsewhere and the group hastily head through the tunnels, managing to find a hidden path leading out of the mountain before they are discovered. The expedition quickly head back towards their camp.
They are met by a somewhat impressed Esteria who withdraws to study one of the shields found by the party. For the rest of the evening the mages recouperate: reading books and reattaching Jamal's hand to the rest of his body. Thriatos summons an imp and request it to learn the goblin language for future use.
The following morning is not so calm - Thriatos is missing one of the key stones found, and one of the camp's guards appears to have been murdered. The goblins are quickly ruled out as cause of death appears to be a blade to the neck - and no one recalls seeing a 5 foot goblin. As the social atmosphere in the camp is definetely dropping towards freezing point, the three mages head back into the tomb leaving only Victor to guard their belongings. They chose to "aid" the excavation team present, which has just opened up the doors found by the other group the previous day. The room beyond appears to be another tomb, empty but for several gigantic statues adorning the walls. They are all shocked badly by the statues shooting lightning bolts from magic staves when they attempt to enter . Charon notice the floor tiles seems to be of two different colors and deduce that one is safe while the other will invoke the guardians. Using the telekinesis staff claimed from Karachen they disarm the statues by using the safe tiles in order to get close enough. In a sudden outburst of generosity, and to keep them occupied, Charon offers three of the staves to the expedition waiting outside.
With at least two chambers connecting to the room they explore the leftmost first, finding a scarp adorned with a well-worn rope ladder they are reluctant to use. With the aid of the telekinesis staff they still manage to traverse it and once below they find a massive natural cave with daylight illuminating it through a rather large hole in the ceiling. Thriatos summons his imp and as they walk through the cave they find the remains of quite a large number of dead animals. As they continue to explore the cave Horacio makes an unpleasant observation: five human-sized bat-like creatures are hanging from the ceiling, apparently sleeping - for the time being.
As the mages run back through the grave they hear the sound of more tombs opening. Reaching the entrance they find the doors magically sealed while the other team of excavators are hammering to get out, but with no success. The room is dark but for the few lanterns bought by the group. Horacio takes command and order the two mercenaries accompanying the group to cover one corridor each. Together with the team's mage he summons earth elementals while the others prepare themselves as well as able. The sound of dragged feet is mixed with the clank of steel...
From the corridor to the right they see swords and armor reflecting the lantern light. Four tall figures clad in full body armor and wrapped in mantles marches shoulder by shoulder, each grasping a large two-handed sword. From the other corridor comes a multitude of badly rotting mummies and zombies. Charon and Horacio focus their magic on the armor clad warriors, sending lightning strikes against them. Thriatos is helping against the mummies with flames of fire, proving to be devastating against their old wrappings. The battle has commenced.
One of the mercenaries quickly fall to the four undead warriors, but Horacio takes his place and summons a second earth elemental to hold the line. Thriatos continues to offer fiery death to the mummies, who are never the less pushing closer and closer to the line of workers - but for the moment they hold their ground. At this point they see a figure coming from each of the two corridors. Both are clad in steel and carry silver swords and shields. The defending humans are hard pressed and several fall dead until Charon manage to dominate one of the undead to battle its comrades. The battle swings slowly in their favor, but as one of the silver warriors is bought down the other is soon surrounded - but still requires a hard battle to kill. The last of the mummies are killed off by the dominated undead.
As the corridors return to silence the survivors can relax for the moment, but the gates are still refusing to open. The mage from Esteria's expedition mentions they've found a door, but not any exit. Reluctantly Charon, Horacio and Thriatos are forced to share their knowledge about the goblins and they all agree to travel there, hoping to find a second exit. Luckily, the goblins appear to be elsewhere and the group hastily head through the tunnels, managing to find a hidden path leading out of the mountain before they are discovered. The expedition quickly head back towards their camp.
They are met by a somewhat impressed Esteria who withdraws to study one of the shields found by the party. For the rest of the evening the mages recouperate: reading books and reattaching Jamal's hand to the rest of his body. Thriatos summons an imp and request it to learn the goblin language for future use.
The following morning is not so calm - Thriatos is missing one of the key stones found, and one of the camp's guards appears to have been murdered. The goblins are quickly ruled out as cause of death appears to be a blade to the neck - and no one recalls seeing a 5 foot goblin. As the social atmosphere in the camp is definetely dropping towards freezing point, the three mages head back into the tomb leaving only Victor to guard their belongings. They chose to "aid" the excavation team present, which has just opened up the doors found by the other group the previous day. The room beyond appears to be another tomb, empty but for several gigantic statues adorning the walls. They are all shocked badly by the statues shooting lightning bolts from magic staves when they attempt to enter . Charon notice the floor tiles seems to be of two different colors and deduce that one is safe while the other will invoke the guardians. Using the telekinesis staff claimed from Karachen they disarm the statues by using the safe tiles in order to get close enough. In a sudden outburst of generosity, and to keep them occupied, Charon offers three of the staves to the expedition waiting outside.
With at least two chambers connecting to the room they explore the leftmost first, finding a scarp adorned with a well-worn rope ladder they are reluctant to use. With the aid of the telekinesis staff they still manage to traverse it and once below they find a massive natural cave with daylight illuminating it through a rather large hole in the ceiling. Thriatos summons his imp and as they walk through the cave they find the remains of quite a large number of dead animals. As they continue to explore the cave Horacio makes an unpleasant observation: five human-sized bat-like creatures are hanging from the ceiling, apparently sleeping - for the time being.
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