Episode 6: The Summoning

"There are things that go bump in the night ... and we are the ones who bump back."
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NukeHavoc
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Episode 6: The Summoning

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Quick Summary

Lt. McKay alerted the Wardens that there had been several attacks by the fishmen monsters down at the New Year Harbor. He gave them a quickly-drawn map illustrating the location of the assaults. Seeing they needed backup, Sir Boundless introduced the assembled heroes to two new members: his former student, the expert fencer Alistair Sebastian Codwalader Martindrake and marksman Paul Fogg. Consulting their map, the Wardens determined that two abandoned warehouses were the most likely lairs.

The assembled crew headed down to the Terminal Inn, a dive-bar located at the end of a subway line near the docks. They asked about the attacks, and heard rumors of a "bear" attacking men, but most felt it was something far more dangerous than a mere animal.

The Wardens went to the first warehouse on their map, busted down the door, and went inside. There they found several of the abducted dock workers coated in slime and slowly being eaten alive by carnivorous tadpoles. The creatures "parent" was nearby -- a large fishman, bigger than the ones seen at the H.M.S. Centaurus, was slowly chanting. The chanting caused the magical glyphs carved into the floor before it to start glowing. Its fellow horrors -- five man-sized fishmen -- moved to attack the Wardens.

A massive fight ensued. Alistair tried to kill the fishman king, but the creature continued its terrible chanting despite multiple bullet wounds. It's chant ended with a triumphant refrain of "TERGAL DIS RAY!". Alistair, who had no small knowledge of the arcane, recognized the chanting as a summoning spell, or perhaps some sort of arcane beacon. At the chanting's completion the runes shone different colors, he and Paul pierced the arcane veil to see a pillar of red/orange light shoot up from the summoning circle. The tadpoles feasting on the human prisoners suddenly intensified their feasting and reduced their victims to a puddle of gore.

The fishmen continued to fight the wardens, and one got the better of Archibald Buchanan, who fell beneath the creature's claws. He would later bleed out, dying in the warehouse. The Wardens continued their desperate fight, killing all of the fishmen and then torching the warehouse so that none of their spawn could escape it. They then fled back to HQ, the corpse of their friend Archie on the backseat, the mercenary McGinnis holding his own guts in with one hand while driving with the other.

Experience
* “Creepy Carcass” McGinnis: 3 xp
* Archibald Buchanan: 3 xp (deceased)
* Alistair Sebastian Cadwalader Martindrake: 3 xp
* Paul Fogg: 3 xp
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Forgive me. I'll try and be a tad more quiet as I desperately struggle to break free -- and save all creation!" -- Doctor Strange
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EvilGenius
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Re: Episode 6: The Summoning

Post by EvilGenius »

Uhhhh, oh myyyy ..... :shock:
Another daring escape for the intrepid Spaceman Spiff!
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Re: Episode 6: The Summoning

Post by NukeHavoc »

EvilGenius wrote:Uhhhh, oh myyyy ..... :shock:
Yes, it was a pretty brutal fight -- I think everyone (DM and PCs) used all their bennies, which I don't think has ever happened in any Savage Worlds game I've played. We also had an epic bennie showdown with Alastair scoring something like 7 wounds against the big bad fishman, and then the big bad scored five successes in soaking the attack.

We're gonna need a Wall of the Dead in HQ...
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Forgive me. I'll try and be a tad more quiet as I desperately struggle to break free -- and save all creation!" -- Doctor Strange
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Re: Episode 6: The Summoning

Post by EvilGenius »

Hmm, I think I'm going to have to beef up Rickard so that he doesn't end up on the Wall ..... :/
Another daring escape for the intrepid Spaceman Spiff!
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Re: Episode 6: The Summoning

Post by NukeHavoc »

EvilGenius wrote:Hmm, I think I'm going to have to beef up Rickard so that he doesn't end up on the Wall ..... :/
I think the challenge last night was the party was going up against melee monsters with somewhat high toughness scores. Even with elephant guns the heroes were having trouble putting the fishman down. Since it usually took more than one shot kill them, the monsters could close with the shooters.

The shooters, with low Fighting skills, had low Parry scores, which in turn tended to make them fish bait. Alastair, as an expert fencer, could wade into the melee and avoid most attacks because of his high Parry (thanks to his equally high Fighting score).

The exception was Fogg, who actually clubbed one of the creatures to death with the barrel of his gun. :)
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Forgive me. I'll try and be a tad more quiet as I desperately struggle to break free -- and save all creation!" -- Doctor Strange
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NukeHavoc
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Re: Episode 6: The Summoning

Post by NukeHavoc »

BTW, it totally could have been bears. It wasn't ... but it could have been.

Bear drags Florida woman from garage
http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/13/us/florid ... ?hpt=hp_t2
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Forgive me. I'll try and be a tad more quiet as I desperately struggle to break free -- and save all creation!" -- Doctor Strange
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Upweekis
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Re: Episode 6: The Summoning

Post by Upweekis »

Booooo..... I had a big gun but I had to switch to the pistol when they closed on me. I'll get over it. Archie's cousin won't. Until he gets revenge.
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Re: Episode 6: The Summoning

Post by NukeHavoc »

"Oh, I'm so sorry. Forgive me. I'll try and be a tad more quiet as I desperately struggle to break free -- and save all creation!" -- Doctor Strange
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