(Backdated entry)
What follows is the text of the email that I sent out to the players when I had finsihed making a new set of character sheets. I don't remember what I saw that inspired this, though it obviously a riff on Gallagher's Sledge-o-matic spiel, with a little bit of Pete Sears' infomercial voice mixed in for good measure. (The references to changed abilities is because we use a slightly modified Ability list.)
“Gee, I wish that I had some spiffy new character sheets so that I wouldn't have these ugly old scribbled out changed abilities…”
“Hold on just a minute there, Tad! We have just what YOU have been looking for!
Your friendly local storyteller Gregor, a division of Gregor Enterprises, a subsidiary of Gregorco. Ltd., illegal front company for GREGORDYNE TECHNOLOGIES GmBH., SSL, and not to mention HTML and TCP/IP … has created the ALL-NEW …
NEVERBEFORESEEN …
Handy, Dandy …
CHARACTERMATIC!™
The CHARACTERMATIC!™ consists of One (1) completely redesigned custom character sheet for YOUR GAME, printed on standard white ink jet paper with water-resistant black ink!
Check out what you get…
The CHARACTERMATIC!™ is designed to resemble the first page of the four-page sheets from Exalted Compendium. It has EXTRA EXTRA storage for all your Armor and Weapons. It has NO unnecessary space taken up by completely redundant charm lists! It has all of the standard features you've come to know and love. For example, it has Willpower. It has Virtues. It has Virtue Flaws.
But we don't stop there. No sir! It even has a cute little check box to indicate your dominant virtue!
So, how much would you pay for the Amazing CHARACTERMATIC!™??!?!
$100? $80?
BUT WAIT! There's more…
Not only does the CHARACTERMATIC!™ have all the stuff those cheap knock-offs from the other guys have, it also includes the changed abilities for YOUR GAME, with no tedious scribbles required! That's right, fully PREassembled!
NOW how much would you pay? $60? $19.95?? Three pieces of pocket lint and a pretty rock??! PUT. AWAY. THAT. POCKETLINT!
ACT NOW and we'll include an ever-so handy list of bonus point and experience point costs (with page numbers) at the bottom of the page, and of course our trademark “here's how the bloody hell you calculate Essence pools” … AB-so-lutely FREE!
That's right, FREE!
Sorry, no cash or C.O.D.s accepted. Act now, nobody is standing by!
The Circle discovers that the Hallian villagers trail leads to a small Shadowland nearby. This Shadowland, Ravens Jetty, turns out to be ruled by the Deathlord Ebony Wave's Kiss, who invites them to it's keep in the heart of the grey swamp to speak with it on matters of mutual interest.
Start Date: 10 Resplendent Air
The Circle accepts the invitation, since the Deathlord sent an envoy to seal an oath of hospitality. Although the Circle is very uncomfortable and leery of the Deathlord, it treats them well and seems to be behaving itself. Information is exchanged over a banquet. The Circle discovers more about the function of the Ties that Bind and the goals of Tears of the Bloodflower, and the danger that lies ahead of them. An informal agreement is made, but the Circle refuses to make an oath.
End Date: 10 Resplendent Air
I was pleased with this session. I got to play more with the Deathlords and the Shadowlands, and the news about Tears being tied to the Primordial Umbra (and his goal) seemed to have an impact on Randy's Lunar character in particular (and the others, as well), and I KNEW the news about Jiulan would affect Ourna. It was an entirely social session, as well.
Converted from old log.
Tonanti is gone scouting for the Wyld Hunt. Meanwhile, the Circle beds down for the night, Develan on first watch, Ourna on second, and Albrecht on third. Meanwhile, Xylanthe attempts her first demon summoning in preparation for possible encounter with the Wyld Hunt. She returns to camp after midnight and is so tired that she proceeds to sleep without even eating dinner.
Start Date: 10 Resplendent Air
Morning finds Xylanthe, Ourna, Tremaen, and Albrecht tied up and recovering from being drugged. Develan and the refugees are nowhere to be seen. A quick study of the marks on the ground reveals that a fifth person was with the tied-up group, but this person neither walked nor was dragged away. The group hears some noises off in the brush, which they quickly determine to be coming from men walking around in armor. Having untied themselves, they debate pretending to be tied up still, but decide quickly that this is unwise. Albrecht points out that Develan did not leave by the obvious route, and the group proceeds into the trees to follow his trail, leaving the armored men hopefully behind.
Meanwhile, Develan has been feigning unconsciousness while a female voice tells him that his group was betrayed by the people it was escorting. He continues the game, in spite of the fact that the owner is clearly not fooled by his charade. He knows that he is tied up. He can see through the eyes of his familiar that they were tied up, and can also see the band of men approaching their position: Dragon-blooded.
He is finally unable to resist opening his eyes after she starts flirtatiously running her fingers along his arm. Revealed before him hanging upside down is an attractive young woman with black hair and eyes and very little in the way of clothing. She asks him if she should let him go to his friends, or if she should keep him there to “play” with. After they bandy words and she continues to hit on him, he eventually has had enough and makes an attempt to loosen his bonds. This is so wildly successful that it takes him a second to realize that they were the only thing holding him up in the tree, and he begins to fall. He grabs a branch and in one motion flips around to come back at the girl with a kick, but she evades him, laughing. She seems amused when she says that since he clearly doesn't want to dally with her, she'll let him go. After all, they'll meet again. She vanishes before his eyes.
Develan and the rest of the Solars meet up in the trees shortly thereafter. Unfortunately, by this point, the Wood Aspect has determined that they took to the trees, and proceeds to follow (which Develan sees through the eyes of Mabuz-Amul, just seconds before he loses contact in a white flash). Develan decides to backtrack to the camp and see what happened to his invisible companion, while the rest of the group attempts to sneak away in the brush. When Develan reaches his vantage point above the camp, the only Dragon-blood there is the Air Aspect. Develan attempts to knock the man out with his knife, but succeeds only in revealing his presence.
Albrecht is unsuccessful in his attempts to be quiet, and he quickly spots a distortion in the landscape, as if the trees and plants were simply moving out of the way of something.
End Date: 10 Resplendent Air
Develan has snuck off from the rest of the group and doubled back to see what has happened to Mabuz-Amul. Spying an Air Aspect there, he decided to toss a knife at him. A short battle ensues. Develan is doing well, until his opponent is taken out from arrows launched behind Develan.
Start Date: 10 Resplendent Air
Develan whirls around … just in time to receieve a hammer blow to the face, knocking him out of the tree. Before he loses consciousness, he sees that his assailants are none other than the Night-forged.
All of them.
He doesn't feel himself hit the ground. Meanwhile, during the battle with the Fire and Wood Aspect Soldiers, Albrecht reveals himself to be a Dawn Caste Solar Exalt to help Tonanti and Xylanthe.
Later, Tonanti finds Develan badly wounded, but alive. The only thing Develan remembers is a male voice saying “kill him”. There is no trace of his attackers, only the dead Dragon-blood. Develan has his hearthstone, but the artifact that it was set in is missing. The Night-forged have reclaimed their stolen chain. There is also a note wishing him luck … written with a phrasing that indicates the author is from Seven Willows? Hmm…
End Date: 10 Resplendent Air
Heh heh heh. Chris set himself up perfectly for getting ambushed by the Deathknights.
Converted from old logs.