Last time, on Heroic Bloodlines:
The world almost exploded, but didn't quite. I'd say "good job" if it wasn't your own faults.
Votes chosen:
C) Blessing of Will - Nothing can shake a true hero from his or her path. Nearly everyone bearing this bloodline will have unbreakable dedication. Training will be easier and more common, granting a larger pool of potential lineage heroes, and even estranged family members will likely stay in fighting shape.
Pros: Will affect everyone of your bloodline who remains non-evil and of story relevance. Heroes trend towards having high potential skill levels. Family more likely to remain at high readiness and suffer less skill degradation during an extended Age of Peace.
Cons: Other than the willpower, lineage members are fully mortal, with no supernatural abilities beyond what's available to everyone else in this high fantasy setting. Such a martially focused family is less likely to pursue jobs such as merchants or craftsmen. May be vulnerable to loss of institutional knowledge, leaving you with the same martial training available to everyone else.
C) Embers amongst ash - Draconis dealt crippling damage before Jaurice was finally able to defeat him, and demons now lurk in the nighttime shadows. Pockets of humanity still stand against the darkness, for now. Perhaps we will rise again, as we once did in ages past?
Many opportunities exist for a heroic family in this time.
Technology regresses to early iron age. Recent ruins abound. More ancient ruins exist, from an even more advanced civilization.
Magic is commonplace, and often necessary for survival, although much advanced lore is now lost.
Jaurice found a shiny while he was on his quest against Draconis, what was it?A) A demonic sword, won in combat against Draconis' lieutenant, Sigfraud. It seems to be alive, as an inhuman eye in the hilt indicates danger by changing color and looking towards the greatest threat. A slight aura of dread fills the room when the sword is drawn, affecting even the bearer. The blade can be broken, but the hilt seems to be indestructible, and will reform the blade from nearby metal, given enough time. It reforms its edge even in combat, but sustained effort can dull it temporarily.
B) Draconis' spellbook and notes. They are mostly beyond Jaurice's ability to decipher. He hopes that they can one day be used to help fight back against the demonic plague, and perhaps even return the world to its former splendor.
C) The favor of a dragon. Jaurice interrupted a magical binding ritual, saving the dragon from slavery. It will be available to provide aid on quests for generations to come.
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History is finished. Choices before this line have dictated the past and had known outcomes, but this is no longer the case. Choices are now between things that exist regardless of which one is chosen, instead of being possibilities for shaping the world.
"You are too late. The path is opened, and I can feel its power flowing through me.
Ha-ha-ha-ha! Behold my ascension and despair!
As Draconis began to turn into a shadowy demon, Jaurice and his three companions charged. Even in his half transformed state, Draconis was powerful, but trying to fight in a form he was unused to ultimately proved to be his downfall. The heroes stood victorious, and the world's destruction was averted.
It was a narrow victory, and only Jaurice remained standing. The noble warrior Braicus was slain to buy Jaurice the moment of advantage he needed to win, the witch Vivius overtapped her powers and lay unconscious, and speedy Freya was crippled by a near-mortal wound.
They searched, but "the path" that Draconis opened couldn't be found.
The sky had become an ominous shade of purple, and black clouds spouting corrupted lightning that looks ultra-black frequently appear above the former lands of Ravenspire, travelling across the world. Shadowy demons now lurk across the world, a heavy threat to villages and needing the constant vigilance of townships.
There was nothing more the party could do in the blasted wastelands of Ravenspire. They spent a year traveling the world, helping where they could. It was never enough. Jaurice's companions slowly lost the will to fight and the party broke up. It was time for Jaurice to settle down and raise his family.Marriage is required to continue the lineage. Who did Jaurice marry?(Note: The rolls were too imbalanced, and so
they never happened.)
A) The Witch Vivius - She is limited in power, but is a master of precision casting, and made excellent use of her low-leveled spells to support the party. Combined with Jaurice's lower-average magic skills, any children with her would be more likely to inherit more magical power.
B) The warrior Freya - A skilled knife-fighter, reliant on her agility. Her legs never healed properly after the fight with Draconis, limiting her combat abilities, but she would still make an excellent mother for combat focused children, and remains more than a match for a common bandit.
C) The beloved merchant's daughter - Jaurice's heart still yearns for the daughter of a minor merchant he met on his journey. She is otherwise fairly unexceptional, but has several siblings, and so is likely quite fertile. Her children would likely grow up to have the most well-rounded educations, and have the best social skills.
D) Marry into nobility - These are dark times, and the voice of a blessed hero will have sway regardless of who Jaurice marries. But most rulers would be thrilled to marry into divinely blessed blood.
The burden of the crown would reduce martial training, to varying degrees, but give such options as "Personally lead the army we've trained with to deal with the problem," and "ensure we have plentiful mage support for the army."
Where does Jaurice settle down and live?A) The castle of Dogsvale - This castle was built near ancient ruins. Something about them magically wards off the demons, and only the weakest get close enough to harass the surroundings. Only a small amount of land is protected, however, and Dogsvale currently suffers from a refugee problem. It must try to expand its farmlands into poorly defended, hostile plains.
The ruins are largely unexplored, due to being trapped and having active golem security systems.
B) Gothwatch Harbor - A medium-sized town, fairly secluded from land travel by mountains. It's economically self-sufficient, despite a lumber shortage, and has trade ties to several nearby settlements. It has a poor military, its trading partners will need heavy support for the foreseeable future, and naval travel has become dangerous.
C) Carlston Pass - An old castle built to defend against the easiest way into Ravenspire. They have a heavily martial culture, and will likely excel against the demons -- if they can protect their neighbors and caravans well enough to secure supplies.
D) The Dwarves (Cannot marry into dwarven nobility) - Alternatively, Jaurice could go to ground. The dwarves are masters of smithing, and are able to defend their civilization remarkably well. But if something isn't done they will be ground down over time, depriving the world of their works.
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Topic: Heroic Lineage [SG] (Read 3874 times)