CMP

"Aye, we need to at least keep them busy for the round." "But they won't be able to pierce that bastard's defenses, Ellaria. I think Russel can handle him well enough."

The man whips his head around, and suddenly stands, grabbing what seems to be only a large bone from the wall. "What? What is this nonsense?" he snaps. "Have a I killed a relative of yours? Descendant? You waste your time, vampire. I have far more important matters to attend to - chiefly, ridding myself of all of you." He breaks in a hasty, savage chant. The room seems to darken as furniture flies sideways. Beneath the necromancer, a strange white aura begins to form - and after mere moments, a pure white wolf-esque creature has been created, apparently to serve as a sort of mount. Cold hissing. . "I've been meaning to try this summon for some time now. It's no undead horde, but certainly will make Helvetia's power apparent..." The heroes tense. PREPARE FOR BATTLE! Enemies Vaughn Level 16 Dark Humanoid *Casts Ice spells from the back row on Damage and Free Hits at the cost one one ether, with halved damage from melee attacks until out of ether* *Hastened* Health: 232/232 Ether: 10/10 Special I: Helvetia’s Touch - The hero is Doomed at the cost of 3 ether. Special II: Helvetia’s Breath - Helhound is healed for 100 health at the cost of 2 ether. Used if Helhound is injured for at least 100 points of health. Special III: Dementia - The hero is Hexed for the next round, Afraid for the next three, and Cursed for the duration of the battle. Used when Vaughn is out of ether. Drops: Robe of the Magi, 2 Bones, Opal Immune to sealed, cursed, and jinxed. Helhound Level 23 Ethereal Ice Beast *Deals Ice elemental damage* Health: 465/465 Special: Bark and Bite - The hero is struck by the Helhound’s attack and is Afraid for the next three rounds. Passive Special: Good Boy! - Vaughn is Hastened while mounted on the Helhound. Drops: Nothing Immune to stunned, confused, hexed, and instant kill. Party Monk Pretzel and His 99 Pieces, (Played by Palathdaric) 463-year-old male "hermit" Paladin *Party Leader* Level: 16 Power Bonus: 0 Defense: 12 Health: 36/36 Ether: 25/25 Gold: 250 Equipment: Cross of Light (WP:10; Light; Staff), Fashionable Shield (SP:7), Ethereal Cloak (Backwear; SP:2; Max Ether +4), Tricorn (Headwear; SP:3) Inventory: Heavy Flail (WP: 5; deals "Fragile" effect; Mace), Flying Cross (WP:6; Darkness, Fire, Wind; Broomstick), Steak (WP:1, instantly kills vampires on successful hits, suitable for all), Potion (2), Grand Potion (4), Tonic, Grand Tonic (2), Ether Core (2), Remedy (2), Soma, Phoenix Essence, Neutralizer, Venom (2), Deadly Venom (5), Paralyzing Venom (2), Smoke Bomb (5), Holy Bomb, Commerz Cannonball, Scroll of Sealing, Bedroll, Magnifying Glass, Pickaxe, Shovel, Magic Shovel (will always find something when used, limited to three uses per quest), Bone (3), Tasty Pretzel (Consumable) - 1/3 chance each of granting lucky, hastened and encouraged-effects upon consumption., , Rito Feather (consumable, grants the hastened- and blessed-effects upon use for one battle) Erik Tyrvarr (Myrddyn) 19 years old male human barbarian. *Inspired* *Sealed, 4 rounds* *Immune to Fragile* Level: 12.5 Power Bonus: 7 under a negative effect Defense: 4 Health: 38/38 Gold: 6 Equipment: Titanic Axe (WP:11, Earth-elemental, has 1/6 chances of inflicting petrified-effect; axe), Emerald Hood (SP: 4, headwear, protects from Fragile), Hide of The Suffering (Bodywear, Power +7 when under a negative status effect. Doesn't stack.) Inventory: Spear (WP: 9, spear), Twin Axe (WP: 5, dual-strike, axe), 2 Death Progg claws, 4 Bones, Barbarian's Boots (Natural Respite>Restoration; footwear), Mead, Peacekeepers totem (Grants the "Diplomacy"-job trait; suitable to Erik only; accessory), Sharkskin Armour (SP +1, immune to water; bodywear) Dreyrugr (Vash the Stampede) 1000 year old Male Vampire Black Knight *Immune to Stunned, Water and Fire* Level: 16 Power Bonus: 0 Defense: 9 Health: 36/36 Gold: 5 Equipment: Voltedge (WP: 13, Lightning-elemental; greatsword/longsword, venom'd), Gloves of the Undead Assassin (For every enemy the wearer kills, it gains 5 HP, Immunity to Water, Usable by anyone, Handgear), Black Knight's Armour (SP:4, protects from stunned-effect), Impervious Shield (SP: 5) (Grants immunity to Fire) Inventory: Venom x4, Bedroll, Remedy, Smelling Salts x3, Mead x2, Shuriken (WP:5, Wind), Net (if used in combat, 1/3 chance to slow enemy, 1/3 chance to be useless, 1/3 chance slow self, lasts 3 rounds, retrievable),Nostrum x2, Throwing Dagger (WP:3) Fauxthril Scythe (WP:5), Bone, Bow (WP: 4), Grand Potion, Phoenix Essence, Soma, Mulled Wine, Crow-Claw Dagger (WP: 6, 50/50 chance to stun enemy on successful attack, Darkness) Nessa Anárion 59 years old female elven Ranger Level: 13 Power Bonus: 1 WP Defense: 2 Health: 19/19 Gold: 9 Equipment: , Merry Bow (WP:7, ranged, steals 1 gold with each successful hit except Shield-skills, Ranger's Quiver (WP: +1), Ranger's Cowl (SP: 2, usable by Rangers only (Headwear)) Inventory: Bedroll, Magic Compass, Venom (3), Nostrum (2), Mead, Smelling Salts, Phoenix Essence, 8 Potions, Psuedos Hood (can damage undead with normal attacks), Darkness Silver Crossbow with Raven-Slayer Bolts and Newty Mag (WP: 8, darkness elemental (WP: +3 vs. werefolk (removable)) (WP: +4 vs. Aquatic vermin (removable) (usable by ex-Amphibians only)), Sylph Solanum (Dannylonglegs) unknown age, unknown race Druid *Immune to Sealed* Level: 22.66 Power Bonus: 1 WP Defense: 3 Health: 38/38 Ether: 30/30 Gold: 77 Equipment: Shrapnel Bow (WP: 10, Bow. Every successful hit drops the target's SP by 1) , Ranger's Quiver (WP +1 to bows and crossbows), 20-20 glasses (headwear, +1 turn of effect for scrolls), Robe of the Archmagi (Bodywear; SP: 3; Max Ether +5, immune to "Sealed") Inventory: Scroll of Frailty, Scroll of Sleep, Scroll of Blindness, Scroll of Sealing, Scroll of Confusion, Scroll of Ice Armour, 2 Potions, 1 Grand Potion, 4 Tonics, 1 Venom, 1 Smoke Bomb, 2 Fire Bombs, 1 Ice Bomb, 3 Water Bombs, 2 Lightning Bombs, 1 Floral Bomb, 6 Bones, Trial Brew x3, Helmet (Max. health +1)), Emerald, Bedroll, Shovel, Pickaxe, Magnifying Glass, Signet Ring, Saber Teeth, Journal of The Bleeding,Tale of the Invincible King, Psych Documents, Journal of The Wound, Suffering's Journal Soryx Dourskull (NPC, controlled by Myrddyn) 42 years old male wereviper Hunter *Immune to Darkness and Hexed* *Favors Demons* Level: 15 Power Bonus: 0 Defense: 6 Health: 30/30 Gold: 107 Equipment: Vanquisher (WP: 10, light, ice, and lightning elemental, greatsword), Darksteel Armor (Suitable for anyone, SP: 6, max health +3, immune to darkness, bodywear), Talisman of Enlightment (Suitable for anyone, immune to hexed, accessory) Party leader, please post a battle order. Everyone, decide who, with what, and from where you wish to attack, or decide whether to use an item or flee. Untargeted enemies will get a free hit at the end of the round.

What happened to that one picture of Druid Sylph?

Alright. And I'm assuming the Wizard's first Special costs at least some ether? "Alright...Althior, get Tesni up, and have your undead distract the king and the mage. Tesni, if ya' can hear me, I could really use that Mirror of yours...I could use a little Inspiration, too, if ya' don't mind, Ellaria. Russel, hit that guard, if ya' can. We gotta spend this round gettin' ready, these enemies are strong - but the next, we attack." Atramor prepares to accept Tesni's Magic Mirror, but if she is not revived, he will instead attack the King's Ghost from the back row. Battle Order Althior Althior's Undead Tesni Atramor Ellaria Russel

I really liked the idea (and build) of undead McCafferey. Maybe I'll try to fit it in again, or wait for an opportune moment in a Quest. I can never bring myself to build an Atramor without a cape or my custom overcoat anymore. Just feels incomplete without one. A little too dark, I must say. I think my free trial on Photoshop was running out and I went overboard on it. I came up with the most insane concept for a body swapping special before. If I remember right, the class, levels and the player stayed together, and got swapped with another's. So say you had Karie and Nessa (because who else could this befall?), and Karie rolls the special, and it ends up being Nessa. You're still controlling a level 11 Rogue (because classes and levels are all in-character experience, and part of the mind, in my world)...but your inventory, character, and everything else was Nessa's. So you have a ton of weapons and artifacts you can't use, and the humiliation of having to be somebody else for the duration of one battle. Best part is? The way it's done allows for multiple swaps. So you could have Karie's mind in Dreyrugr's body, Nessa's in Karie's, and Dreyrugr's in Nessa's. And now that I remembered how it worked, I can make note of it to use in a future Quest. It's so dangerously unhinged and yet so destructive at the same time!

It might be. It was quite a while ago, but I distinctly remember how much of a pain in a megablocks it was to make a skeletal chicken on that scale, keep it in one piece, and manage to get Atramor to hold it long enough to snap a picture.

Oh, I have a few theoretical outfits. Not as out of this world (pun totally intended) as Alien Karie, but still. Necromancer Atramor: And Infiltrator Atramor:

Can Tesni not fight? Atramor pushed Althior away with the Pheles Rod as their new enemies cropped up, striding around the group to get a good look at them. "This'll be a tough one..."

Atramor's new Witch picture will be up after Quest 68 finishes...I'm still torn on his Regulator look.

You cut out the part where I mentioned I had been absent for a lot of the day, which kind of factored into that. It was the only case I had been following up to that point, and even then, when I looked back, everyone just seemed to let it drop in favor of the Cultist and the Serial Killer, something I thought was odd. Maybe it was just people trying to start things going on Day One? Perhaps. I'm still inclined to keep the Usurper in mind as a suspect. Seeing as how I don't find the Cultist all that suspicious, I think a townie would've been lynched no matter where I placed my vote. That's just a consequence of not voting until so late, and I apologize for it. The SK got lynched for being a little suspicious and then not being around to address the suspicions, and it looks like the Cultist might go the same way (though he's had the time to post a lot of fluff, it seems). Now with time to review it, I don't think I would've voted for either of them anyway, and I don't think that'll change today. It was 5 - 7 at the time, in any case. Would you rather me have hopped on one of the bandwagons and have no effect on the outcome of the day? I didn't have time to pay attention later on, so I stuck to what I knew. It's completely my fault and not constructive to the town, I know, and I am sorry, but you're thinking I did it for the wrong reasons.

"I understand that more than ya' might think. Don't think life has lost its value just because ya' managed to cheat death once," remarked Atramor venomously, before turning away from the necromancer.

It's just a matter of figbarfing and applying personality to fit it. Badass-looking character, badass-sounding personality.

"Aye, you are. This skeleton can express more life than you can."

"You mistake me," replied Soryx in a quiet tone. "I slay them because they are a threat to all, not because they worship a different god than I. That is not Pseudos' way." The party enters the room, the door swinging open with a creak....and they happen upon a rather horrible sight. A small, musty room, thick with the smell of death awaits them. A single cloaked figure is working away at something on the table, and he doesn't even look up as he speaks. "I swear, Louis, I told you no more pranks, you know damn well how much of a fix we're in right now, this is no time for my door to get me killed."

The only mistake is that I didn't opt for perma-death in Quest 53, though I was considering just doing it if Atramor got KO'd as part of some sort of awesome Special Mirror effect.

"You can forget about bringin' any of us back from the dead. Nobody in this party is going to end up one of your empty followers," spat Atramor, casting an annoyed look at Althior's growing army.

He's a really interesting character to write about. It's funny how much of a difference a class can make. If Tarn's personality was on a Knight, it'd be downright typical...but as a Barbarian, it really sets him apart. :thumbup: Amazing analysis, Flitwick, thanks. You've covered just about everything about him.

"Not at all. He is more than a mere necromancer, as you may soon find out. He's part of a cult - the Cold Circle - that reveres Helvetia so fervently they sacrifice both body and mind to appease her. Their love of the unholy and undead has consumed them. The most that can be done is to end their would-be eternal suffering by purging their life and spirit from this plane."

It was actually the First Anniversary Raffle. Endgame mentioned he's probably get the most useless item, the Ether Core...and he did. But he did get one for Grogmas, too.

Tarn Valco Adopted into a monastery at a young age, Tarn isn't by any means a typical barbarian. With the heart and morals of a monk but the capabilities of a warrior, he's not afraid to fight for justice and honor in the world, yet at the same time also tries to be diplomatic in attempts to keep the peace. Although the definition of a noble warrior, Tarn has recently fallen on harder times in the heat of battle, and has thus turned to the ways of a Raider to make the best effort he can to be an asset to his team. Despite his obvious heroic attitude, he also has a tendency to find himself smitten quite often. Unfulfilled crushes include Ellaria Arbour, Tesni Hightribe, Ella Septrine of Dastan, and various ninja bandits...but it doesn't keep him from fighting for the safety of his friends and of the world.

Atramor stares at the cloaked skeleton, and opens his mouth to speak, but Ellaria was already fully prepared to stab Tesni. He took a glance at the pair, then just turned away to glare at the undead. He was sick of watching friends suffer for no reason other than some higher power demanded it. If it was his choice....Johnny would've gotten what was coming to him.

You underestimate the popularity of internet memes.

The skull opens it mouth wide in an another disturbingly happily grin - this time, revealing the doorknob between its teeth. "Excellent work, heroes. Are we prepared to enter?"

Make sure to bold your answer. "I inspected it thoroughly in my own attempts to crack the lock...it's my belief an alarm will be triggered if you answer incorrectly. It's a rather simplistic necromancy spell."

"The Duke did it," snaps Atramor without hesitation, pointing to Ellaria.