Post Journals / Story / Notes / adventure talk here (June 2016) Ota Sura's Orks + setting up 2 side adventures

June thread for Journal entries about game sessions this month! Remember that Session XP and Treasure/Loot is cataloged in another thread, <a href="https://app.roll20.net/forum/post/1861516/treasure" rel="nofollow">https://app.roll20.net/forum/post/1861516/treasure</a>... Journal XP Bonus is awarded for this thread. Post your Journal entries here. (You may also copy your Journal to your Character's personal logbook thread, but the XP award is based on posting it in the monthly Journal thread in the chronological windows of time, week to week between sessions.)Please write your own Journal XP Bonus proposal in chat. I'll review it and approve the XP amount and description. We'll use this thread for all sessions taking place in the month of JUNE 2016. This is the 16th consecutive month of Player Journals for this homebrew world. Link to Journals / Story / Notes / adventure talk (March 2015) Link to Journals / Story / Notes / adventure talk (April 2015) Link to Journals / Story / Notes / adventure talk (May 2015) Link to Journals / Story / Notes / adventure talk (June 2015) Link to Journals / Story / Notes / adventure talk (July 2015) Link to Journals / Story / Notes / adventure talk (August 2015) Link to Journals / Story / Notes / adventure talk (September 2015) . Link to Journals / Story / Notes / adventure talk (October 2015) Link to Journals / Story / Notes / adventure talk (November 2015) . Link to Journals / Story / Notes / adventure talk (December 2015) . Link to Journals / Story / Notes / adventure talk (January 2016) . Link to Journals / Story / Notes / adventure talk (February 2016) . Link to Journals / Story / Notes / adventure talk (March 2016) . Link to Journals / Story / Notes / adventure talk (April 2016) . Link to Journals / Story / Notes / adventure talk (May 2016) . Link to Journals / Story / Notes / adventure talk (June 2016) . Open Window: Journals June 2-3-7 sessions. Roll20CON Tavern + Ota Sura's Orks! The party teleported many leagues to the North, to Ota Sura's outpost at the edge of the orcish lands. The wise aunty half-elf Ota polymorphed the PC's into Ork forms as an undetectable disguise. The party got supplies, and has house keys and a plan to meet Ota Sura back at her Outpost later (in her study, upstairs, where she can detect your return) after the party's intelligence-gathering trek into the Orc City of Kimba Hai, and back.&nbsp; On their 1st day in Ork forms, they cleared a way through the Webs Of Death, facing intelligent tricky ettercaps and very very big spiders, in the tunnel leading to the Orc Lands. Ota Sura's Orks = the party PC's polymorphed into Orcish forms including a Troll, Goblin, Orc Shaman, etc. Next Session and moving forward in June to Summer - Main Quest as Orks, plus 2 side adventures to play: (1) Ota Sura's Orcs go to Kimba Hai: &nbsp; Investigate Lord Harlepen's defection in the Orc City of Kimba Hai. (2) Swargen's Quest In Asgard.&nbsp; Any PC can play this side quest in your Astral Spirit form, if Paul is present on a side-session day like Thursdays. (3) Tower Descent adventure against evil with puzzles, traps, monsters, built by bad Benders affiliated with certain Gods, on the location of the Lighthouse on Portlandio Point atop the High Cliffs.&nbsp; Margrave Horukh 2.0 feels a calling to investigate what is going on in the Lighthouse District of Portlandio Province.&nbsp; This tower dungeon can be started by Horukh and any PC's and allies who are still in Portlandio, and later joined by the main party after their mid-future return from Ota Sura's adventures. You are on an mission for Ota Sura, an awesome Half-Elf Aunty Mayor wizard elder intellectual and defender of the people of the Canadian region who helps the Elvish Vanguard to push back the Orc Front from the North, With evidence from Ota Sura and the party, Lord Harlepen has been exposed as a defector to the orcs, a turncoat against the people of Honshar, Camptown, and Portlandio region, including the elves and the dwarves and others. What is the human Lord Harlepen doing with the Orcs and the Rock Orc Factory in Kimba Hai? And what about Koryon General Yi Bang? He is thought to be an Imperial Dragon, and is said to be stationed along the Orc Front with ties in Kimba Hai as well. Individual PC's have several more connections, motives and hooks for exploring Kimba Hai, helping Ota Sura, investigating Lord Harlepen, gathering information about Yi Bang, or just adventuring around as a powerful PC in polymorphed Orkish appearance. Get ready to see Kimba Hai a massive Orc City of Population 80,000 to 100,000.&nbsp; On the side keep another eye back towards Portlandio and the mysterious Tower being built and raised upon the Lighthouse footprint.&nbsp; And with your Third Eye look across the rainbow bridge to Asgard where Swargen is on a quest for Thor to defeat Loki's tricks. Post any game discussion here, Ork roleplaying by-post, or even Orc references and memes all month long! + journals.

Stupid Behind, Stupid Ahead. That had to be absolutely one of the most challenging experiences of my life. The time of the transformation had been...Difficult. I had almost forgotten the schools of magic, let alone how to use it. Luckily, as I kept reteaching myself the basics of magic I was able to find myself not completely devolving into that Goblin thing. I'm writing this in a bathtub now, which is great because I really needed nice relaxing hot water after that shit-show. I see why Sigma had been so worried now about the entire thing at first. Sigma wasn't himself as a Orc, neither was Kricket. The Dwarf though? Still an asshole. The first issue was fighting our way through a tunnel of spiders. Normally, a wizard such as myself would have no problem with this. But, again, that damn transformation had some...consequences. Try as I might to throw large fireballs, I found I couldn't do much other than use my magic missiles. Luckily, there were a lot of big dumb orcs to keep me alive as I got my bearings. I never had realized how tall I was before the entire experience. I shrunk to almost half my height! Kricket was taller than me! Fucking. Kricket. Anyways, one interesting thing I noticed was how your personality changes. Before you undergo the process you think you'll be there completely, ready to just go in a different body. But no, being one of those things changes you while you're one of them. Now, what's my biggest personality flaw? My confidence, to be sure. But, as a Goblin....I had none. As I reflect on the experience, I actually am a bit frightened by it even now. Not just my loss of my intellect, but also my loss of....me. It took a very long time for some of it to come back, and even then it wasn't all of it. I didn't get all of me back until....Well, I was back to me. Anyways, I need to clean this goblin filth off of me. I'll write more while I'm drying off.

Dev Diary #01,02 (Any kind of feedback is appreciated! Regarding both content, use of words and spelling/grammatical errors.) (First part is last jurnals text, second is current) (One can only improve, if one knows what is wrong. If not one would belive it is perfect) (The hooves of the cavalry thundered across the damp field, horses thrusting heavily from the long ride across the treacherous terrain. The men atop them screaming and shouting loudly. They were coming closer. “Stand fast men we can’t let them break through us!” The Captain shouted, He was a hardened man who had served for more years then I’ve been alive. The cavalry finally crossed the stream indicating they were one hundred meters away. “Front line brace!” The first order was given for the impending conflict. The men at the front moved there shields to connect whit the ground and then took a knee taking one of their pilum and pointed it towards the onslaught of enemy’s coming closer. By now they were a mere sixty meters away from us. You could start to see the white in the enemy’s eyes, some of them where bloodshot whit rage and others where retracted into a small shivering black ball. “Ready pilum!” As the Captain gave the command the entire group raised one of their two throwing weapons the tips gleaming in the sun along whit the helmets that sat tight on the head of every man. By now the cavalry forces where a mere forty meters ahead of us.) The order was given “Throw!”. And we did, whit an endless stream of iron raining down. The enemy riding into them tripling their killing potential. Not man nor horse where safe from this rain, no shield could provide cover, they fell in the hundreds. The ones that were lucky enough to get through&nbsp;where not greeted whit open arms but by the tip of the spear. Not all of our army where as trained as us though and for this we paid the iron price. Many men died this day, both friends and foe alike. The onslaught of cavalry did manage to break through the line but what happened is to gruesome to describe. The aftermath was horrifying, the damp field where not green anymore. And the crows had gathered above numbering many more then one man should see In a lifetime.

For laughs, for everyone... I came across this compilation of quotes from the webcomic SCHLOCK MERCENARY.&nbsp; The further I read, the more I heard Valkenhayn and Kricket. 1. Pillage, then burn [ 2002-02-07 ], [ 2003-03-08 ], [ 2004-04-04 ], [ 2004-07-22 ], referenced [ 2015-09-27 ]. 2. A Sergeant in motion outranks a Lieutenant who doesn't know what's going on [ 2009-07-31 ], [ 2012-05-13 ], [ 2015-05-04 ]. 3. An ordnance technician at a dead run outranks everybody [ 2009-11-01 ]. 4. Close air support covereth a multitude of sins [ 2008-04-14 ]. 5. Close air support and friendly fire should be easier to tell apart [ 2010-04-21 ]. 6. If violence wasn’t your last resort, you failed to resort to enough of it [ 2005-03-13 ]. 7. If the food is good enough the grunts will stop complaining about the incoming fire. [1] Mentioned, but not identified as a Maxim, [ 2011-04-20 ], [ 2011-05-25 ], [ 2013-05-26 ]. 8. Mockery and derision have their place. Usually, it's on the far side of the airlock [ 2002-11-21 ]. 9. Never turn your back on an enemy [ 2003-03-08 ]. 10. Sometimes the only way out is through... through the hull [ 2009-01-17 ]. 11. Everything is air-droppable at least once [ 2008-04-15 ], [ 2008-12-11 ]. 12. A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head [ 2002-11-21 ; footnote]. 13. Do unto others [ 2003-03-08 ]. 14. "Mad Science" means never stopping to ask "what's the worst thing that could happen?" [2] . 15. Only you can prevent friendly fire [ 2010-11-18 ], [ 2012-01-15 ]. 16. Your name is in the mouth of others: be sure it has teeth [ 2002-11-21 ], [ 2015-05-12 ]. 17. The longer everything goes according to plan, the bigger the impending disaster [ 2012-02-20 ]. 18. If the officers are leading from in front, watch for an attack from the rear [ 2012-01-04 ]. 19. The world is richer when you turn enemies into friends, but that's not the same as you being richer. [2013 Calendar] 20. If you're not willing to shell your own position, you're not willing to win [ 2012-01-15 ], [ 2015-03-03 ]. 21. Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Take his fish away and tell him he's lucky just to be alive, and he'll figure out how to catch another one for you to take tomorrow [ 2004-04-04 ; number is not canon yet]. 22. If you can see the whites of their eyes, somebody's done something wrong [ 2012-07-13 ]. 23. The company mess and friendly fire should be easier to tell apart [2013 Calendar], [ 2013-03-15 ]; Referred to, but not identified as a maxim: [ 2013-05-26 ]. 24. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from a big gun [ 2012-03-18 ], [ 2013-09-14 ], [ 2014-06-16 ]. 25. If a manufacturer's warranty covers the damage you do, you didn't do enough damage [ 2012-11-25 ]. 26. "Fire and Forget" is fine, provided you never actually forget. 27. Don't be afraid to be the first to resort to violence [ 2003-03-08 ]. 28. If the price of collateral damage is high enough, you might be able to get paid to bring ammunition home with you [ 2011-09-07 ]. 29. The enemy of my enemy is my enemy's enemy, no more, no less [ 2003-03-08 ], [ 2003-09-29 ], [ 2004-12-31 ]. 30. A little trust goes a long way. The less you use, the further you'll go [ 2003-03-08 ]. 31. Only cheaters prosper [ 2003-05-11 ]. 32. Anything is amphibious if you can get it back out of the water [ 2013-09-29 ]. 33. If you're leaving tracks, you're being followed [ 2013-10-21 ] 34. If you’re leaving scorch-marks, you need a bigger gun [ 2004-02-29 ], [ 2014-12-12 ]. 35. That which does not kill me has made a tactical error (T-shirt). 36. When the going gets tough, the tough call for close air support [ 2003-10-02 ]. 37. There is no 'overkill.' There is only 'open fire' and 'reload.' (Canonized in the 2015 Schlock Mercenary Monthly Calendar. Misquoted regularly in the strip.) Alternate version 1: There is no 'overkill.' There is only 'open fire' and 'I need to reload' [ 2004-02-23 ], [ 2004-04-06 ], [ 2004-06-23 ], incompletely referenced [ 2006-10-09 ], indirectly referenced [ 2012-07-04 ]. Alternate version 2 : There is no 'overkill.' There is only 'open fire' and 'time to reload.' [ 2004-04-06 ] [3] , [ 2013-05-08 ]. 38. What's easy for you can still be hard on your clients. (Canonized in the 2015 Schlock Mercenary Monthly Calendar. Mis-quoted without the number by Tagon as "Just because it's easy for you doesn't mean it can't be hard on your clients" [ 2004-03-26 ].) 39. There is a difference between "spare" parts and "extra" parts [ 2014-05-03 , maxim cut off], (full maxim verified in 2015 Schlock Mercenary Monthly Calendar for March) 40. Not all good news is enemy action. [ 2013-05-22 ], [ 2014-09-05 ]. 41. "Do you have a backup?" means "I can't fix this." [ 2013-10-04 ] 42. "They'll never expect this" means "I want to try something stupid." [4] . 43. If it's stupid and it works, it's still stupid and you're lucky [5] . 44. If it will blow a hole in the ground, it will double as an entrenching tool. [ 2014-02-18 ] 45. The size of the combat bonus is inversely proportional to the likelihood of surviving to collect it. [2015 Calendar] 46. Don't try to save money by conserving ammunition. [2015 Calendar] 47. Don't expect the enemy to cooperate in the creation of your dream engagement. [ 2014-01-19 ] 48. If it ain't broke, it hasn't been issued to the infantry. [2015 Calendar] 49. Every client is one missed payment from becoming a target [ 2015-03-11 ]. 50. Every target is one bribe away from becoming a client. (Number not locked) 51. Let them see you sharpen the sword before you fall on it. [ 2014-09-24 ] 52. The army you've got is never the army you want [ 2014-02-22 ]. (Number not locked) 53. The intel you've got is never the intel you want [ 2014-02-22 ]. (Number Not Locked) You don't really understand a thing until you've eaten that thing [ 2013-11-26 ] "The size of the paying is inversely proportional to the likelihoods of surviving for the collecting" [ 2013-10-03 ] (The size of the promised paycheck is inversely proportional to the likelihood of surviving to collect it.) (Canonized with different text as Maxim 45.) Everything's dangerous until we've killed it [ 2013-06-15 ]. Equipment that can't perform up to spec gets replaced. Equipment that won't perform gets abused until it will , or until it can't [ 2001-11-05 ]. Officer Training 101: Don't Taunt Murphy [ 2011-05-14 ]. The easy way is always mined [ 2005-05-06 ]. "Leadership through following the right grunt" - it's one more hallmark of a Lieutenant who won't get shot by his own men [ 2004-12-02 ]. GRIN

Lol, these are pretty funny, even without context.

"A little trust goes a long way. The less you use, the further you'll go." Basically sums up Kricket's character.

Ugh. Tanaka have Strong feelings. Tanaka want to feel bones Break in Grip. Bathe in Blood of Strong foes. Prove that Tanaka is no weak kobold. Tanaka lift heavy rocks. Be Strong like others. Maybe be Strongest someday. Tanaka feel like it be Breeding season. Feel like burrow&nbsp;need Much More eggs. Feel deep in Rut. Others no say anything. Maybe soft skins feel like this all time? Maybe something Wrong with Orc kobold. Maybe others scared lie. Tanaka will find Mates in Orc Hord.&nbsp; Head Hurt. Feel Bad to think two ways. Old kobold says be clever, lie, hide. New Orc say, be Strong, Fight, Dominate. Hard to make both happy. Memory say one thing, Gut say other.&nbsp; Me have Good idea. Make both happy. When go to Hord, me say "There be Strong cult here. Need Stomp, Wipe Out. Me really say, cult give Much Strength Fast if join. Lure Orcs away from One Eye with honey words. Make old Stubborn Stupid Orcs fight other Orcs. Maybe me join Fight and Crack Bones. Maybe me become small God.&nbsp; Maybe answer be found in Factory. Be secrets. Be power. Maybe Grow Big Mussels. Maybe make Chimera or Take Artifact. Tanaka Grow clever Strong! None Stand in way and not get Broken.&nbsp;

On the Bifrost, companions are along, new ones even. The colors are unspeakably intense here, and all things are aglow. This is a realm of spirit, in which we are who we feel we are. In the other reality I am a seething, hate-filled, pot-bellied orc. Here I am a tall, proud minotaur, armor shining, though my horns are as broken as they were last week. They actually feel sizzling, as if their missing sharp halves are in conflict with being here and not being here. Sometimes I imagine them as being much more massive than a normal minotaur’s, bladed, bright, like part of a great leader’s helmet. But the rest of the time they are blunted and half-length. Strange. I stand here as a hammer-brother to Swargen. I understand some of his quest, but I don’t need to know it all. I only need to know that it is better that I am at his shoulder: maul, bow and mind at the ready. Swargen I trust implicitly.&nbsp; He has a minotaur-like mind with the added sharpness of a certainty of faith. In fact, I am not certain I can call it faith, since that term implies the possibility of doubt. Swargen has no doubt that Thor regards him well. I do not worship anyone, but I give credit where it is due. Thor has respectable power, and I appreciate that he watches over Swargen. That is all I need. No god or goddess has ever claimed me. I see their influences and I see what their priests and followers do, yet I am alone in that regard. I have no recourse should I fall, or should I need help surviving. I hope that Thor treats Swargen well while we are in this realm, and invites us to feast and fight at the tables of Valhalla for a while. If Thor disrespects Swargen, I will find it unfortunate to have to leave a hoofprint in Thor’s face, and make amends to Swargen for it. I am not sure how Swargen would feel about it. It seems obvious to me that Thor is in a game of champions, else he would just acquire these items himself, so Swargen is going to have foes aplenty ahead. Whatever comes, I will have Swargen’s back as we face these challenges.

You inspired to make a MTG Card for Valkenhayn. Kind of expensive, but when you consider for a 5 drop unlimited red powah and also a living spell cancel.

I wish there was a way to give upvotes for journal entries. :)

Torvald can't write in common. Plus while changed into an orc he can't write in dwarven runes.&nbsp; So&nbsp;he did the next possible thing... Drawing "Challengers of Destiny" graffiti with charcoal and ashes!

I'm feelin' the love here!

Well more is to come in the future!&nbsp; Torvald plans on spreading dread among the orcs at Kimba-Hai...

Journal Notes 6/7 That blasted polymorph magic! She said nothing about it affecting our memory. I can't seem to remember how to perform many spells that I used so often before. And the ones that I do remember seem to be twisted in to something else! This better be temporary...

Closing journal window of June 7. Thank you players! Incredible week for Journals!&nbsp;Journal XP awarded in chat to at least 6 PC's, I think most people were covered if you saved it on your Regular Character's BIO tab. Bonez -- that was cool how you wrote about the 2 minds, of Kricket from Kobold and now as Tanaka the Orc, within your character; the funny and not-too-subtle side story of hormones, rut, and breeding; your plan to promote a False cult of the White Horned Rat. Very thoughtful journal. Larry I liked the Memes and the introduction to the Bitfrost, Rainbow Road, the state of Sigma's horns as he adventured astrally more like his true self, and his allegiance with Swargen respective or regardless of Thor. Solid those writings on parchment from Baradin (left handed writing) and Torvald (comic petroglyphs), very funny and on-point for this adventure. Worthy of many Orc Trophies, orc points and Ork Rank. Chris C we are extremely glad to have you back on the Photoshop train of digital mashup, that is a very fine picture tribute with the party tokens, and the Web Of Death scenes in the spider tunnels passing through to the Orc Lands. I imported your image into the game, to pop-up in full size during games. Cat , we were taken in by Valk's writing (from the future) looking back on being 'goblin filth'. Erik continued his longer-term backstory of Chakavi's elder military experience. Opening window for Journals of June 14: Ota Sura's Orks met Red Tusk - Map Preview of the Road To Kimba Hai - Ota Sura's Orks on the road to Kimba Hai, passed burned towns in orc lands, cold northern plains, joined under the troops of Red Tusk Orc Boss and Hari Face Shaman, back agreement with Guzarl Orc Wizard. Tanaka controlled a Darkenbeast, but nearly died in 1-on-1 vs Red Tusk. Chakavi paid a 1000GP gem to Red Tusk for command of a Half-Orc captive named Catena to save her from being burned. Thanks also, Co-DM webcamparrot . -- DM Gold

Pride proceeds the fall Kricket was so sure of himself. He had helped slay a Great wyrm and was well on his way to slaying his first dragon. He had seen Sigma cut down a army of orcs as if they were blades of grass, and had witnessed the laws of this world bowing to Valkenhayn's arcane might. He had felt the power of his god course through his vanes, and had grow far stronger then he had ever imagined was possible. Red Tusk and his band of orcs were just another bump along the road to finding peace in the after life.&nbsp; I'm sure that Kurtulmak was cackling as Red Tusk's blade threw Kricket's Broken body to the ground. Kurtulmak is the only god who cares about kobold kind. When a kobold dies, he is there to welcome them into his great mine or to send them back to try again. He was the only one who saw us as anything more then vermin. Kricket should have gone into his arms and been given a new fate, but Kurtulmak no longer recognized Kricket as a kobold. Tusks, green skin, lust, boasting of his strength and struck down when he openly challenged a stronger foe. Kricket's pride had twisted him into something that was no Kobold, so Kurtulmak tossed him back to the mortal plane, not even fit to be reborn as a dung beetle. &nbsp;Kricket was betrayed by the one being that he utterly trusted. Yet he loved Kurtulmak with all of his orcish heart. With that love, Kricket cursed Kurtulmak's name and forsook his faith. If Kricket no longer existed, then Kurtulmak would remain the protector of all kobold kind. Cut off, Kricket had no where to turn. At best, he was an unwanted pest in the other god's temples. At worst, he was a victim of pity and charity. If Kricket had no afterlife, then what was the point of life? Pain or pleasure, joy or sorrow, his soul would disappear into nothingness. It mattered not what happened to him because it would not change his destination. Nothingness. But life is not extinguished so easily. If his fate was nothingness then so be it. He could not sit idle and allow his... acquaintances to come to the same end. His actions may have no bearing on his own fate, but perhaps he could change the fate of those around him. They were unfallen, and deserved more then to die at the end of an orc's blade. If someone's life were to be taken, let it be his. Let death be cheated for a worthless soul.

It only got harder, and stupider. Sometimes all you need is a nice bath to regain your senses, and remind you of what you are. I'm laying in bed and drying off now, and now that the fur on my hands is dry it shall be easier to write without ruining the journal. The next day had been rough. When we had traveled onward of our path of destiny, we found the flying beasts. Things had gone well at first, we killed one, Kricket had tamed the last one after it had taken him and flied away. We were shocked when it came back and they just landed. With all of this, we had our confidence bolstered as we moved on, despite my idiot friends being idiots and trying to bully me for being a Goblin. Webbing Kricket's face had been worth it at the time. We found a camp, it had other orcs, slaves. From there we found our next challenge...Red Tusk. I'm not sure why we had gone there at first. But I started to see it. We could use Orc culture against them. First, we join the camp. Then we rise in the ranks quickly, then we do a hostile takeover. It had been a good plan. However, rational minds can't prevail when you aren't yourself. Today I found that other Orcs are very emotional creatures, letting those things control their actions. High on his confidence, "Tanaka" had tried to take down Red Tusk in a duel. Kricket had almost died for it, it was awful after a clever tactic backfired on him. When I saw my best friend who helped me get my bearings on this continent laying there in a pool of his own blood. I had ALMOST snapped. The only reason I hadn't snapped, honestly, was that I was still at that moment having trouble casting my strongest of spells. At the moment I didn't have much I could do. I was glad enough of my mind was intact at that very moment and I didn't lash out with my weaker spells. I'm sure I also would have perished. Red Tusk WAS very powerful. But, he had a few enemies it seemed. Enemies that were his undoing... He also made one other mistake....He trusted me...

I also decided to make a Sigma magic card as well, might even be more ridiculous than Valk as a card.

"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there." -Jelaluddin Rumi Kricket's life ended as the world fell apart. The earth pressed down on him, and his short gaps choked on the settling dust. His face was pressed against something wet. His blood? No, it was that of one of his clan mates. When the first day had passed, he had given up hope that his injuries would give him a merciful death. On the second day, the last yips of the other kobolds had been silenced. On the third day, he lapped at the bloody pool that he had been laying in. On the fifth day, he heard the songs of dead kobolds toiling in Kurtulmak's mine. On the thirteenth day, he awoke.&nbsp; Excerpt from Kricket's Journal. I dreamt that I was a lone hatchling wandering though the smoldering ruins of my tribe. Dimly I recalled that ages ago, Kricket's people had lived in pet houses before the drought had come, and with it the big folk. Occasionally I would see a glint of scales as another hatchling would flee from me, or a hiss as an elder coward in the shadows. It is not good for a kobold to be alone. Even one who is no longer a kobold. I begged for them to come out into the light and tell me what had happened, but they would not. A part of me shied away from the darkness. It reeked of those who were waiting for death. There was a truth in the shadows that I could not bear to face. In the center of the village was a mount of bleached sticks and hallowed rocks. Driven by the need to find someone, anyone who wasn't hiding, I began to climb. The mound shuttered, and the sticks rattled their malcontent. For every two steps up, I slid one step back. The mound trembled as if it would collapse beneath me at any moment, but by some merical&nbsp;it manged to hold my young weight. When my wretched body reached the top, I was covered in filth and bruises. I cast my eyes round about. Elders and hatchlings darted from shadow to shadow, but where were the warriors?&nbsp; Frustrated, I sat down and moved some of the bleached sticks into a makeshift nest. I hefted one of the hollow rocks, feeling that I was overlooking something incredibly important. I shifted it from hand to hand. Its weight felt wrong, almost as if it were bone. As the the true nature of the mound dawned on me, the skull in my claws began burning with elderich flames.&nbsp; Shrieking, the skull dropped from my hand and tumbled down from my grasp. I was already too late. The bones shifted beneath me, rolling into skeletal warriors who grasped at me with their cold hands. As I was wrestling to escape the dead, a black wave of fire swept over the remnants&nbsp;of my tribe. Their screams were burned out as they sought refuge where none was to be found. As I struggled to stay afloat on the half formed skeletons of my tribe, a shadow blocked out the setting sun. Only its silhouette was visible, but the feeling of dread that trailed behind it was unmistakable. Dragon. Overwhelmed with fear, I dove into the skeletons, clawing my way beneath them. They rattled about me, pulling me deeper with their icy grip. The dragon's claw thrust down after me. I twisted desperately to escape, but it caught my tail betwixt its thumb and foreclaw. With a flick of its wrist, the dragon yanked me clear from the mound of bones. It held me before it's face, the dying rays of the sun reflecting off of an eye that was bigger then I was. Scarred witless, my body went limp. I could only hope for a quick death. With a rumble that shook the heavens, he said but one word, " Child ."

Super journal entries, guys.&nbsp; And, I can't wait to see just what the implications of Kricket's journal will be.&nbsp; Kobolds are dragonblooded, after all.&nbsp; A dragon of some power may have a special interest in him..... Oh and the things that Valkenhayn is discovering about himself by being a goblin shaman...! And Cat thank you for the Sigma card!&nbsp; I don't play the game so I may be missing some of the subtleties, but I get the general gist of it... Monster Herder, Orc Reaper. :)

Larry D. said: Super journal entries, guys.&nbsp; And, I can't wait to see just what the implications of Kricket's journal will be.&nbsp; Kobolds are dragonblooded, after all.&nbsp; A dragon of some power may have a special interest in him..... Oh and the things that Valkenhayn is discovering about himself by being a goblin shaman...! And Cat thank you for the Sigma card!&nbsp; I don't play the game so I may be missing some of the subtleties, but I get the general gist of it... Monster Herder, Orc Reaper. :) I'll break it down easy. Death Touch=Dealing combat damage to a creature will kill it no matter what. +1/+1 just means it gets stronger for that turn, and you can do that as long as you can pay the 2 green mana. Vigilant means it does not Tap (flip sideways) when it attacks. Meaning it can still block after it attacks that turn. Glad you like it. On the other note, I honestly do feel like these two are my best journals yet.

Journal Notes 6/14 Again this blasted polymorph has prevented me from properly casting magic!

When Kricket (Kobold) / Tanaka (Ork form) was knocked below 0 HP and nearly died... his spirit started to ascend to the outer planes. He walked towards the light. Kricket felt himself beamed up to a space ship where aliens began a probe. At the conclusion of their experiments the aliens declared that the Kobold God (Kurtelmak) would reincarnate Kricket as a dung beetle. Dung beetle! <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLdD8W7Laig" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLdD8W7Laig</a> The very same week IRL, these cool girls posted this YouTube featuring a brave and strong little dung beetle in the swamp. Watch the YouTube link to see what it does, and what they say. "He's friendly! He likes poop." (Fortunately Kricket was brought-back from the brink, by the Orc Shaman healer named Hari Face, and survived, but he has forsaken his Kobold deity and broke-apart his holy symbol, due to realizing that his own God would assign him to 'dung beetle' in the next life.) Dung Beetle: Picture of how Kricket saw himself being reincarnated if it is left up-to the evil Kobold Deity CLOSED window for Journals of June 14. XP Awarded in chat. Opening Window for Journals of June 21 session Guzarl vs Red Tusk vs Ogres Fun session today playing as Ota Sura's Orks! We played Orc Sports, and then helped to see Red Tusk accidentally defeated.

Meme made for Havoc playing the most interesting basilisk in the world. The most interesting basilisk in the world. ( Havoc joined as a spectator of today's session, and was soon drawn-in to play Ghulp the Basilisk which is really Furnace The Fire Drake . The basilisk had a double-success in the Orc Sports game and was able to cheat his way to team-victory, turning some opponents to stone in an "accidental foul", and was subsequently named Most Valuable Player of the Orc Sport tournament for the day.) Meme for Torvald "The Beard" who polymorphed into Mork The Ork Chewbacca Mom laughing hysterically with the mask: (Must-watch link) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3yRv5Jg5TI" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3yRv5Jg5TI</a> Torvald wearing a Mork Mask. If you haven't seen this yet, it is a contagiously funny viral youtube / facebook live video from a month ago, that happened to coincide with when the Party polymorphed into the Ork faces, thanks to Ota Sura's magic wand. These events will be forever connected in my mind. --- DM Gold

PIC of Our Ork Ranger Trying to Tame a Drik: Sigma The Minotaur Ranger, now playing Skullcrusher The Ork, attempts to learn Drik Handling NWP. Ork:Skullsmasher(Larry) returns to the group, wipes down his arrows, and goes to spend some time with the Drik. He might get along all right with the tuuuurtle. As a Ranger the tuuuuurtle might like him, who knows? But he at least brings some leafy bushes over to offer. Gold-DM (GM): Haha yeah. The turtle thing is called Drik. IDK if they are friendly to Ork Rangers? Ork:Skullsmasher(Larry) sits besides its neck, leans against the Largest Teletubbie Ever and feeds it giant broccoli. Ork:Skullsmasher(Larry): A Drik = Ultimate Bulldozer/construction platform. Put a crane on the back. :) A drik is a powerful and massive creature. Its sheer bulk gives it an awesome might.&nbsp;A drik is a powerful animal, built low to the ground and covered by a thick horn-encrusted shell. This shell is a dark gray, speckled white with bone chips. The scaly hide of the drik is a deep brown, though some appear light brown or even yellow. The drik’s heavy body is supported by four thick, stublike legs, each sporting four huge claws. The drik’s head is enormous and has two black eyes. It has and a large mouth capable of swallowing a human whole. Several jagged tusks protrude menacingly from below the creature’s mouth. The drik communicates with other driks through grunts and bellows. More intelligent creatures must use telepathy or other forms of magic to communicate with a drik. They generally eat the grasses and shrubs of the badlands or the slower animals they can catch. Feral driks often lie still and wait for unwary creatures to wander within attack range. They drink from the Black Waters, making it fairly easy for trappers to locate them. Driks are the only animals known that can ingest terrible poisons from the Black Waters and survive. The drik’s short legs and great weight make it ponderous beast, but this apparent lethargy conceals the beast’s surprising prowess. A drik’s head and neck are actually quite agile when it holds them away from the resin shell – almost as if its head and neck weren’t connected to its gargantuan body. A causal observer might fall victim to the drik’s unnatural quickness and reach. A drik does not normally ram anything but another drik that is invading its family’s territory. Ram attacks against structures or creatures other than a trespassing drik are made only at the instigation of the beast’s handler.&nbsp;Some driks are used to pull massive siege towers or wagons, but often they are used as individual, mobile weapons platforms.

" I wish that I could have a bit of time To heal the ache that's growing stronger all the time But I know time stops for nobody Let alone me, and so I go... Inevitably"&nbsp; Expert from Kricket's book of experiences. We've been betrayed and there's no one I can turn to. That damn orc shaman just slaughtered our cover for entering the orc horde, and the others are cheering him on like some sort of hero. Sigma is too near sighted to see that the slaves he freed will be hunted down like animals, Valkenhyne is blinded by the orc shaman's arcane power, and the others were happy to wet their blood lust. Mark my words Mr Bones, this orc shaman is a bigger threat to the south then anything we've seen. He's blatantly using us to further his own ends and I expect we'll be disposed of when he tires of us. My only advantage against the orc shaman is that he's a terrible liar. He's crossed his words on three occasions, but it passed the notice of the others. What terrifies me the most is that I've heard nothing about him. There are no tales or legends of a orc that's capable of casting spells with that degree of mastery. His power far exceeds that of a king, or any ruler below that of a dragon. If his true form was orcish, then he would not be capable of hiding the rumors of his power. If he is not an orc, then what is he? A demon, a lesser god, a fey, or something else? Its tempting to peek under his mask, but I fear that I would not survive his wrath.&nbsp; His motives are like a mirror. He's telling us exactly what we want to hear, and nothing more. Based on how he found us so easily I can only assume that he heard of our quest and wishes to use us to further his own ends. He might be using mind reading as well, but then why has he let me live? Does he not recognize me as a threat? He claims that he wishes to become king of the orcs and scatter the horde. This would be great, but his actions tell a different story. If he wished to see our quest succeed, then he would have allowed us to keep the orcish band as cover. Instead, he sacrificed resources and his personal safety in order to exterminate them like vermin. I would cite vengeance as a motive, but if he can't endure their existence, why would he seek to integrate himself as their king? He has all the hall marks of a being of chaos. If he indeed becomes the orc king, then he will become the greatest threat that the world has seen in an age. I&nbsp;hypothesize that his short term goal is nothing less then the utter destruction of both the orc horde and the Elvin nation. But what is his end game? Speaking further on this is only guesswork and suspicion. Regardless, I am powerless to stop him. He's clearly guarded by interwoven layers of magic, and his cunning rivals that of Valkenhyne. If I see a moment of weakness, I will cut the life from his body, but for now I can only watch and wait. Even a god can underestimate a kobold.

Dominik's Notes (these are written in a mix of duergan and undercommon, few people on the surface would be able to read hem) At long last, I have arrived at Portlandio. It is exactly like my contact described it: filthy, ugly and a shadow of its former self. Laying low shouldn't be an issue around here, there's all sorts of monsters and wicked creatures roaming town, what is an odd duergar, right? I should proceed with caution nevertheless.&nbsp; The reason why I took the liberty of traveling to these God-forsaken lands is because I was contacted a few days ago by Portlandio's Senechal who claimed to have a job for me. He did not contact me directly, instead sending me a letter with instructions, should I be interested, which I most certainly am. The true nature of job is too odd to be explained in the document, but it said they required an experienced depth delver with 'stealthy' abilities. When I asked my friend for some dirt on this Seneschal and my potential employer 'the Ashen', he said it had to be legit. The fancy and official looking letter wasn't forged, and those two entities were, in fact, real. Knowing I wasn't walking into a trap, I decided to contact 'the Ashen' as per the letter's instructions in one of Portlandio's inns: the Naughty Nymph. I am not easily impressed, but I must admit that the very rare behemoth skin and cryohydra heads adorning the tavern's entrance got my attention. These people mean bussiness (and the amount they are willing to pay me certainly confirms this). I walked inside and took a seat. The bartender offered me a free beer, claiming it was Portlandio's customs to welcome new adventurers in town. I found it weird, but after assuring that the drink was not poisoned, I took a sip of it while walking towards the nearest chair in order to take a short rest. The inn was quite empty, there were very few patrons inside (which oddly included a goblin and a masked cleric of some sort, as far as I managed to figure out). Either the place is not very popular, or the regulars are out of town (which seems very likely, since rumors claim this establishment belongs to an adventurer company called the Challengers of Destiny). A few minutes passed and suddenly, two town guards walked from out of nowhere! I carefully placed my hand behind my back, readying my dagger should something happen, but nothing did, so I returned to my relaxed position, not letting my guard down, however. Soon after, 'the Ashen' appears in front of the guards and points at me. That's my cue, I say to myself, while taking the fancy rolled up letter from my leather breastplate, slamming it on the table, sipping the last of my beer. I sit down in front of him and prepare to hear his job offer... &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

In The Mind of Sigma, Skullsmasher.... In quieter moments I feel concern about who we are and what we are doing. I am behaving orcishly to blend in but I am enraged by what I am. I am not an actor of stage, but I am trying to come across as a hunter-type orc filled with rage and general violence. Sometimes I smash things just because I can. Hopefully those who watch me are convinced I am not a saboteur or spy in an orc body. The truth is I just want to rage into them all and KILL THEM ALL, and I keep checking that back. I am a ranger. I am a ranger. I know the orcs are like any other overpopulated predator. They must be trimmed back. Put in check. Numbers reduced. I want to reduce their numbers by killing them. But I have to be smart. I have to be ranger smart. I can’t let myself be orc smart or I lose to them. I have to be a convincing orc but have a ranger mind. So I put myself through daydreams and meditations. I picture new horns of razored sunlight. I imagine the armor of a general on me. I imagine minotaurs and centaurs and griffons at my command. I daydream myself as a minotaur hero. I try to hold on and not be an orc in my mind. It is getting harder to do some days. I just want to wreck things. I want to kill my companions . I want to slaughter the animals and ravage the slaves until they are broken under me. I want what I have not hacked apart myself to just burn around me. But then I think of who I was and who I could be. I can come back. I can bring my companions back. I am their pathmaker. I am a ranger. I AM A RANGER. I am. (an experiment with typography to represent the whiplash emotional conflicts inside his mind)

More Powerful, More Stupid. I refuse to talk about the "orc sports" that I had been forced to participate in. Even after eating my current delicious meal I still don't want to think about it after all this time out of my Goblin prison. Sadly, the trust Red Tusk had in me wouldn't be the thing that did him in. It had been a pity, because now it wasn't my intellect that would have done the idiot in. However, our group as a whole, as well as this other Gray Orc had a hand in it. This Orc was quite peculiar indeed indeed. He had been able to name EVERY type of magic (including some of the most niche schools that are very, VERY hard to find training for). I had starting to wonder if he was an Orc, or maybe he's like us and is someone polymorphed to be an Orc. I have never truly met another master of Arcane more powerful than me, let alone one that much more powerful than me. I know they exist, sure, but to actually meet someone beyond your level by so much was....Well it was nerve wracking. But, also an excellent opportunity I couldn't pass up! I talked my way into becoming his temporary apprentice, and had quickly already taken in a new spell already. I know he wasn't teaching me his best yet, and it would be in his best interest not to. After all, what if I had betrayed him in the future? It made sense. At the time I was sure there might be a time where I would have had to betray him in the future as well. This was mostly due to his stated intentions of the Orcs. They were a bit flimsy. Even if they were true, I didn't like the idea of bringing the Orcs back to Tribal Communism. But, it's hard to get orcs to understand the concept of the individual, I suppose. Still, I knew I had to keep my guard up, especially while I tried to absorb as much knowledge as I could from him. There was also my friend I had to worry about....Kricket wasn't exactly an easy case at the time. But I have to admit, I wasn't the best friend at that moment I could have been, too absorbed in gaining power.....Like a good Wizard!

Theme of the week for Kricket. I feel like this what's going on in Kricket's scrambled mind now that he realizes he can't run away into his old identity. After all, there is never turning back.

Torvald drew up some propaganda pictures to spread around Kimba-Hai...

In celebration of ORC BALL!

SolidHybrid is my hero. YOU DA REAL MVP.

Journal Notes 6/21 We are now all orcs, goblins, and trolls... oh my! And now Torvald can't stop talking in memes... 1st step is admitting you have a problem.

The Closer You Get, The Stupider You Get. We had made great progress in the city once we had arrived. Damn, this bed has never been more comfortable. Anyways, progress.&nbsp; We headed to the Arena because we found out it would be the best way to get in on the plans that the Orcs had for their invasion. On the way to the city itself we had found out that a group of spell casters were going to open a gate. At the time we had to figure out what kind of gate it would be, and where it would go. But I already could tell it would be bad for the people we were fighting for at the time. A gate, depending on how it's made, can go many places. I knew for sure it would be behind the defensive lines that the other races were holding to the south against the orcs. I wasn't able to pinpoint where at that exact time, however. So, we went to the Arena. I'll admit (since no one else will read this) that I was scared at first. However...When I was told that magic was allowed. Well, it made things a lot easier and safer for me. Sigma's fight had been exciting enough. He won, though. Then I decided to go second just to get it over with. My opponent had looked tough. Both luckily, and sadly, he wasn't. I took my newly learned magic and I used Acid to basically melt my opponent to death as he flailed at me like an idiot. Even as a Goblin, I guess my flair for the dramatic hasn't left me, nor has my true ability to cast magic. I just needed time, that's all. I feel like I'm back to my old self again...At least from a Casting standpoint. Anyways, after we were granted admission (and my amazing display was basically ignored for the fucking Drake LOOKING at someone to win a fight) I was able to make quite a few discoveries right away. This temple was where a gate was being built. I could see the residual magic everywhere, and I saw the skeletons shackled to the walls. Even those felt like they had been used in magic in some way. We found out that this place was connected to others. Our tickets we were given let us through protection spells. What I saw personally so far had been the Orc's factory....Not only were they turning people into rock constructs....They were building an army of colossal size ones. I left that to the Dwarf. I had to help in some other way. I got myself on the gate building crew. At first I was mad that they basically had me starting off as a janitor....But it's better than I thought. I'm a Goblin AND low level...I have an easy way to sneak around in plain sight... I would sabotage the gate myself.

I am no fortuneteller, but I think I know where Sigma's headed with this.

WickedWayz . said: Fighting Giant Crickets in the sewers Portlandio for the WIN!

Fighting off Skeletons on the roof of the Evil Tower in Portlandio

Sick photo-chops, Wicked Wayz. I notice several realistic details from our Thursday game session starting on top of the Tower Descent. &nbsp;Such as the skeletal bowman on fire, the trap of hands from the floor, and 1 of the 4 statues on the perimeter. All PC's be sure to Click on the pictures, to see the full size pop-up from the forum thread. Wicked , I will be able to send you the actual Tower Descent perspective shot that you requested. I'll email it over within a few days, and perhaps you can reuse it for your Journal pic next week. Remember to ask-propose your Journal XP bonus in the chat at the start of next game, and I will approve the +620 for Hamaskas then. Tower Descent preview animation for Thursday Players: This animated GIF provides just enough of a trailer for the upcoming adventure quest. Everyone Click and Watch: <a href="https://twitter.com/russ_hapke/status/733091890959" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/russ_hapke/status/733091890959</a>... Even though it seems to reveal the level-maps, it's more of a teaser than a spoiler, because the details, puzzles, monsters, traps and obstacles aren't shown. &nbsp;Good luck PC's with following the camera down to the heart of the tower. I don't think you will be able to pan down quite as fast as the camera in this animation.

Cool Thanks gold, see ya thrursday

By the way, on that previous post of Sigma's with all the pictures, I was playing lighting director.&nbsp; Hopefully you guys all saw that I was staying with a specific color series.&nbsp; To me that is how I picture the Challengers and their allies at their best, always with a hint of that golden light that saturates everything at certain rare times of day. There were also some story specific things in there too, like there's a swanmay, and the cavalier with the big dragon (Baradin some day), a monster battle force with minotaurs and others on the Challengers' side, a golden dragon making a big display with its wings, appearances by Ra and Horus or perhaps their avatars/noble raptormen, all in cinematic lighting.&nbsp; It's a way I tried to add in some "color flavor" to how we picture our characters and adventures.

Yup, Kricket is hiding in there somewhere. On the back of the golden dragon, behind the charging minotaurs, working the lights on Valken's meteor shower, working the fog machine for the bird man, etc.

Kricket probably IS the golden dragon.&nbsp; If you're gonna shapechange, go big. :)

!@#$ yeah! You think Furnace would mind a brother?&nbsp;

Furnace would love you!&nbsp; Furnace is probably the mightiest dragonet ever known, and he's your teammate.&nbsp; He's even played with you as an equal, pulling his little pranks on you and giving you rides.&nbsp; Let that sink in... KRICKET, KOBOLD DRAGON et RIDER .&nbsp; No wonder Kricket is a Challenger of Destiny! Becoming a dragon is clearly the next step for both you and Furnace!&nbsp; Or, Furnace will stop adventuring and start a family.&nbsp; Yeesh, what an army to bring to some epic battle, a bunch of easily-agitated fire-spitting dragonets flying around getting enraged at bad guys!&nbsp; It would be like combat soccer with a hundred live incendiary grenades... Also, Baradin should have a dragon mount.&nbsp; Or an Indominus Rex.

Its strange to say it, but Furnace is the Challenger of Destiny that Kricket trusts most. When Kricket gets the chance, I'll have him bounce some ideas off of Furnace.&nbsp;

Larry D. said: By the way, on that previous post of Sigma's with all the pictures, I was playing lighting director.&nbsp; Hopefully you guys all saw that I was staying with a specific color series.&nbsp; To me that is how I picture the Challengers and their allies at their best, always with a hint of that golden light that saturates everything at certain rare times of day. There were also some story specific things in there too, like there's a swanmay, and the cavalier with the big dragon (Baradin some day), a monster battle force with minotaurs and others on the Challengers' side, a golden dragon making a big display with its wings, appearances by Ra and Horus or perhaps their avatars/noble raptormen, all in cinematic lighting.&nbsp; It's a way I tried to add in some "color flavor" to how we picture our characters and adventures. Personally, I like the picture with the Charr.

The Charr Hottie that Valk dreams of.