Hall of Fame Nominations 2019

[Aethera]

It's that time of year again, time for one of the most anticipated events in the RPG Crossing calendar. It's time for the Hall of Fame (2019 edition)!

The Hall of Fame is already home to some of the greatest games this site has seen, but we know there are more out there that deserve to join the esteemed ranks of the HoF. It's time to let us know about them.

Game Criteria Solo Games must have at least 300 in-game posts. 'Regular' Games are eligible if they meet one of the following requirements: the game must have been active for at least a full year on this site (this means the game's first in-game post must be dated on or before August 21, 2018); or, the game must have at least 750 posts and reached its intended conclusion (please demonstrate how it's reached that conclusion). Games which were inducted into the Hall of Fame during a previous running are ineligible for nomination during this running. However, if a game was nominated during a previous running but DID NOT make it into the hall of fame, it is eligible. Staff-run games are eligible for nominations. Inactive games are eligible for nomination! Just because a game is finished or has died off, it doesn't mean that it's not a prime example of what we like to see. You can nominate any game that meets the criteria, even if you were/are a DM/player! It's not arrogant. It's nominating a game that you loved and thought was great -- and that's what we want to see. You must have at least 100 posts to nominate a game.

What we are looking for in a game Quality posts -- good role-playing is always a plus. Longevity -- dedication to a game on this site is one of the highest aspirations of a DM and players. Good Implementation -- Whether it's a very unique game idea or if it's a classical game idea done very well, a masterful DM and players make any game fun.

Nomination Format Name: (include a link) DM(s): Self-explanatory. Current Players: include past players if you wish Reasons for nomination: Describe your reasons for nominating the game and why you think it deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame. Links: You must provide a link to a section of ten posts which you would like reviewers to read. This link is allowed a paragraph of up to 300 words to set the scene. You can provide up to two of these. All of this makes it easier for the Community Supporters to review.

"Second"-ings should contain their own nomination and description so that the thread isn't cluttered with "second"s. Nominations that are a simple 'I second this nomination' will be deleted. Please do not "third" or "fourth" or "fifth" a nomination. It's annoying.

On September 11th, there will be a public poll to narrow the list down. Approximately a week after that, these games will be brought over to the CS Forum where the Community Supporters will decide which games make it in!

Want a hand in the final voting process? Go ahead and become a Community Supporter!

You can peruse all the previous Hall of Fame inductees here.

[Astra]

Nomination for The Siege of Aanor's Reach The Siege of Aänor's Reach https://www.rpgcrossing.com/forumdisplay.php?f=15993 DM: GallupsMirror Current Players: Grouchy, Mountainbound, Syne, Niyaga, Astra, Berith Reasons for nomination: This game is exemplary. Right from the start it was designed to succeed: The DM was very choosy (in a good way) about which characters/players were accepted, and characters' backstories had to include links to at least one other character and to the setting. This ensured that the characters had IC reasons to start and stay together, and IC reasons to go along with the plot so that no overt railroading is required. The world feels alive, like events are moving behind the scenes independent of the actions of the PCs. The quality of writing and characterization from the players and the DM is top-notch. Whenever I post a reply in the thread I revise it two or three times, and each post takes me hours to compose because I don't want to be seen as "the shitty writer of the game". It's refreshing how well everyone seems to get along both IC and OOC. The posts themselves all conform to the same style which lends the game an additional air of aesthetic charm and makes it easier to read. In addition to being mechanically challenging, the game's plot is outstanding with moral dilemmas that challenge characters and players seemingly at every turn, and GM the DM does a fantastic job of setting the tone and maintaining an atmosphere of desperation - armies of crazed killers sweeping across the known world, desperate ends calling for desperate measures, unlikely alliances, and things that aren't all they seem. Great stuff. After some real life events getting in the way of a few different members, we decided to temporarily put the game on hold rather than try to force it. I think this is a wise decision given how awesome this game is, and I hope we can pick it back up soon. Links: Here we find our heroes, weary after battle on the beach to escape forced conscription and having defeated a group of outlaws in the forest, sneaking into the logging village of Splinters. In desperation, the party breaks into the house of Sergato de Black, a local ne'er-do-well, and inadvertently sets off a trap. GM uses the opportunity to do some foreshadowing and introduce us to an NPC we may or may not encounter in the future. https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthre...93#post8099893 The party is chased from Sergato de Black's house by a mob of insane murderers seemingly driven by an otherwordly bull-creature accompanied by an eerie young mage. The chase goes on into the night, as our heroes are pushed to the brink of exhaustion and are forced to mount a desperate stand against their relentless pursuers, to be aided in their hour of need by the introduction of Berith's character. https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthre...10#post8317910

[DraconigenaArma]

Name Knick Knacks of Doom
DM DracongienaArma
Current Players Bio, dbaque, goplayer7, MagicallyMusing
past players include brann miekka, Cancer, DoubleL1987, dragune185, Jocularity, Numen Wraith, The Iron Dragon, Valistar

Reason for nominationThe Knick Knacks of Doom is in its seventh year, having started January 2012 when I was in a lull of games to play and finally succumbed to the desire to DM. It started to fill up time and I stole from the Masks of Destiny Campaign from dndadventure.com with some cosmetic changes. As the game progressed I developed my voice and story. The campaign is now a unique multi-chapter, twenty level arc which resembles MoD Campaign only in spirit and veiled references. As a game it has persevered through player attrition, my career changes and military service, real-life tragedies, the migration from DnDO to RPGx, the transition from 3.5 to Pathfinder, and despite a current slow and crawling post rate continues to be played. As of the 26th of August, it has the fourth-highest post count of any Pathfinder game on the site and has been in the top three or four every year since 2014. It has been a game with incredible activity over the years with threads making it into the site's top lists for many consecutive years between 2013 and 2015. Its players over the years have included Easter Egg Hunt Champions and Post of the Month winners. One of the current players is from the original party, having been in the game since day one. Many of the other players have been with the game for only a year or two less.

On the ground, KKoD is my example of the versatility and power of literary gaming. Several non-traditional house rules make fundamental changes to the dynamic of play to support Play by Post gaming. The primary means of doing so was when I removed experience points as a reward for role-playing and a means for advancing. In many ways, Dungeons and Dragons can sometimes fall into a rut where exploring the story is a means of leveling up the character. I have shifted the focus of role-playing onto the story, as advancing the story line and developing the plot are the only means of leveling up. It also means the story can progress without padding out every chapter with a variety of non-beneficial encounters to make XP goals. In many instances, multiple small encounters are important to the story, but no longer a requirement for the advancement of player or narrative.

I enjoy the environment created with a focus on the literary aspects of telling a story. Players are more inclined to spend time on side stories, puzzles, interpersonal conflicts, and the like without using these side quests as mindless experience grinding. The Trinket Tavern is a thread dedicated to side plots and conversations which may stall the game, because they happen during downtime or because they are between two players or the player and the DM, and a variety of other story purposes which do not involve the whole group and main plot. Non-combat adventures have as much bearing on their character as combat ones. It has had a positive impact on exploration of the campaign, since playing two or three combats can happen in a day at the table but one combat can take weeks on site. KKoD has become more than a long story, it is a dense and complex tale with personal stories, parallel plotlines, recurring characters, love interests, and a wealth of established and ever-expanding lore. I have experimented with many ways to balance story and action in a play by post environment to make the game flow while remaining engaging and challenging.

KKoD has a unique world, with exclusive cosmos, calendar, and topography. This custom world has provided room to build and explore off-shoots and side games over the years. The disc has hosted off and on again projects such as the Rabid Halfling Swarm and the Ultimate Dungeon. The custom world has been further explored and expanded on by players who have taken on projects for themselves, creating art and stories of their own to flesh out the world. I take it as an honor, and a rare treat, to see players taking ownership over seeds I have planted.

Despite any changes or theory I impose upon the game, much of it has flourished because of the enthusiasm of the players embracing the concepts. Their influence is much of what makes this game one of my favorites despite its slow nature now. History on this site has shown "build it and they will come" is insufficient to make a game great and enjoyable. It takes players who run with these ideas and make them their own to go from playable to incredible. I love how my players care about the ramifications of their actions, and not because I demand they do so. More than any other game I have participated in Knick Knacks of Doom is the epitome of collective storytelling over mindless gaming and all I did was open the door for my fantastic players to take my ideas and improve on them.

Additionally, I have striven throughout the years to be as adaptive and receptive to the game my players want to play. By encouraging an environment where the players are comfortable to voice their opinions and engaging in honest conversations about the quality of play I have been able to adapt what I wrote in my notes into an enjoyable and playable result. I owe much of the thanks for this rapport to my players over the years who have made great contributions to the OOC thread, creating more than a place to discuss the game and instead establishing a community where the players can communicate as friends. Platitudes aside, many of the players from this game became legitimate friends who I still communicate with today through messenger, Facebook, text, and others. I have not experienced a transition from site-friend to personal-friend in the same way as I have with many of the players of KKoD.

Links

Chapter 4 - Down by the Sea: Negotiations They have a habit of setting buildings ablaze before ascertaining who is inside it. During the invasion of a keep they set the barracks on fire, but inside were the worker slaves the orcs had chained up. So the scene I am linking to starts the moment they escape the burning building with the last of the slaves. They have broken free as the building is coming down around their ears. Out in the courtyard, enjoying the blissful winter air, they are given no rest as a villain they overlooked before, a winter wolf on a chain, is free and standing between them and freedom. Plus, it is threatening the slaves they freed with icy-breath death. Instead of risking the lives of the innocents, the PCs try to negotiate. The mechanical act of negotiating is not difficult, a number of the party members have the diplomacy skill and the bard in the group can talk almost any enemy into entertaining a conversation. What I love about this game is how they took everything a step further. They did not negotiate away a fight, they pumped the wolf for information and even broker a tenuous peace treaty for the nearby town they have liberated. They took a simple guard-dog on a chain which was supposed to be a speed bump fight (or a way to bolster one of the main encounters if I wanted it to last) and transformed it into a story element which can influence the game chapters ahead. Post 395 – 405

Meeting Old "Friends" Chapter 10 is bringing many long-standing stories back into play. One of their persistent nemesis has been the agents of the Marquis d'Pretelsworth, to include the Marauder Shar and Agent Thomas. Now all three are in a room, trying to parlay with the group to team up for everyone's best interests. Are they trying to pull a fast one over on the PCs, or have the heroes misunderstood the whole time? Can the big bad evil be so easily eradicated, or are the PCs going to make terrible mistakes with far-reaching impacts on the world? This is the beginning of answering those questions, and since they are still playing this chapter, no one knows yet. Post 234 and on

[hvg3akaek]

Name: The Lost Writings of Aureon
DM: hvg3akaek
Current Players: None! The game has concluded.
Previous Players: Phil, Sakure, Coeur de Lion, Olorian, fox-master, Hyregoth, kedcoleman, sneakybastard, LoveBug, sammichweasel, Howling Winds of, William Imm, Wulf, Soporte Vaca, PalladiaMors, UnseenShade, Illya, Waugh.

As this game has ended, all the game threads are in the archive folder, though a summary thread has been left in the main folder, with links to each chapter of the game.

Reasons for nomination: The game ran from November 2009 until April 2015, and was been quite an enjoyable game to DM. The players have kept things interesting, even going so far as to create well-written and in-depth posts for the rounds where they are lying unconscious on the ground! Olorian has a lot of fun describing Pogo's relation with his summoned animals, as well as creating a unique, one-legged kobold druid, who spends the time when he's not a swarm of tiny insects hopping around. Throughout the game, the characters interact well, such as an early archery lesson between Amaranta and Vance, Phil's ranger; or the distrust of the introduction of newer characters, such as the half-orc Udodak, played by fox-master, who arrived claiming to have killed a former enemy.

Coeur de Lion's Valna, the head of an expedition into a twisted and corrupt tower, struggles to hold the group together whilst they bravely fight to destroy a curse that threatens to encompass them all. Enemy NPCs are interacted with (not merely slaughtered), and scary or tense moments have an effect on the characters beyond mere mechanical applications. Over time, the party had a strong warforged-theme, with sammichweasel's Six being joined by GinJapan's protective Bulwark, and Coeur de Lion returning with the dangerous Titan. Sneakybastard's succubus (a re-flavoured tiefling) was at odds with many of the group's ideology, and ricktur63's Cassi, the only human in the group, had a lot to work with!

Link #1: This is an old link, for the entire game is being nominated, not just the latest chapters Reading from here will give you the start of what happened to Sakure's character, Amaranta, when she fell unconscious in one particularly nasty battle. There is not a lot of background needed - indeed, the following posts give a lot of the background - but the short of it is Amaranta's fiancée died, and she misses him. And as she drifts closer to death, she meets him once more! Sadly, this deathly tale goes a lot further than the mere ten posts allowed for the nomination, but hopefully, it gives you a taste of what is to come, and you may well want to skim further ahead and find more


Link #2: It's hard to find just one link (so feel free to read more ) to cover all the interaction between the current party, but reading from here shows not only the depth of characters, but also shows that when combat rolls around, the interesting characters don't disappear.

[MoonZar]

The Empress' Trials



[Game Link]

A wind of change The world enters the dawn of an age of explorations and innovations. With the emergence of modern galleons, wars are fought on the sea and trade is booming through water, not roads. The first printing press is allowing a faster propagation of more widely distributed ideas. Wise men claim that the world is flat and explorers are trying to prove the point. The first guns and canons are appearing in the military and will change forever how battles are going to be fought in the near future. Wars and death are even more common, with those new tools of destructions available, and occasional plagues. Gods still own the heart of most mortals, but new ways of living are quickly progressing in the population. Kings own most of the riches and lands of the world without challenge but are competing intensively among themselves, the enemies of today could be your friend tomorrow, alliance shifting regularly. The political tensions are volatile and nobody is spared. In this changing world, magic is still very powerful, but more regulated by laws in civilized countries. Many of the calamities of the past were caused by magic and people are fed up of mad wizards. This is in this context that our story begins, at the end of the Empire golden age...

The fall of an Empress Empress of legend Helena Cornaya controls a large empire for three decades. Her sword skills unmatched, her ruthlessness feared, the empire laws are just, but judgment is merciless. She continued the legacy of her ancestors and conquered realms and territories with a mix of wars and diplomacy. Nobles and kings from all over the world pay her respect on a regular basis with gifts, songs, and poems in her honor. The great kingdoms of the empire are not in total harmony, they are kept in check by the Empress iron fist. Most nobles are discreetly playing the great game of cloak and daggers, in competition for lands, riches, and favors from the Empress. The nobles rivalry even occasionally end up in short wars to the great amusement of the Empress until she decides to restore order by lifting a finger and make a few heads rolling. One day the unthinkable happens when the great empress died in her bedroom, after her fifty years old birthday. Her enemies were numerous, and the number of suspects with a motive are countless, but none are known to have what it take to challenge such an epic warrior still in prime shape. After an investigation led by highly qualified people, there's no clue of what happened that night. The official word to the people was that the Empress couldn't be resurrected by Eryka high priestesses, wishing to enjoy her well deserved peace in heaven. The future of the empire fell on the imperial magistrate that was empowered to act on the will of the Empress. Helena never married and didn't have any child that is officially known to the court, spending most of her life on foreign battlefields. It always has been a source of great concern of who will take over her legacy and prevent the empire to fall into civil war. However, the empress always used this uncertainty to keep her nobles motivated to please her, some said she didn't want a child for that sole reason. Unlikely heroes were designated heirs by the empress. For their safety, the beneficiaries name were kept secret by the magistrate as long as possible, but eventually the list became public. Many nobles and vassals of the empress didn't agree with the chosen list. Some were hoping to get a share of the vast imperial treasure for their years of service, get more lands and titles or even get a shot at the imperial throne. With a target on their back, many heirs were assassinated before they could even make it to the imperial capital for the reading of the will. The survivors were assigned a quest by the empress last wishes, gather the Empire regalia. The soul cleaver, an ancient bastard sword. The eternal crown, crafted by the goddess of truth herself and symbol of the true ruler of the city. The last one is the sceptre of the elemental forces, gift from the ancient elder elemental gods.

Game details Name: Empire's trials DM: MoonZar Current Players: Vaerdis, Wodine, Gotha and dbaque

Reason for nomination This is my first attempt to run a cloak and dagger kind of game mostly happening in an urban environment. Finding a delicate balance between politics, adventures and a feeling of accomplishment for the PCs proved to be challenging but very rewarding for everybody involved. For the players, it's been a different experience to have an enemy that you can't see or simply hit in the face. They are still not sure after all this time who is after them really. It's been running for more than a year now and remained very active with 4000+ post in the threads. I think this game deserves its place in the Hall of fame, yet I will let you all be the judge of that with humility. Happy reading and good luck to the other contenders for this year HoF!

Links The heirs have been captured by pirates at the beginning of the story. Transported to the far north, they have to escape and make it back in time to the imperial capital for the reading of the will. Things are pretty back as they are barely dressed in their cell freezing to death at the hands of their captors. Chapter 1 - The Legacy of War - Post 1-10 Finally some of the heroes made it back to the imperial capital for the reading of the will. They lost many companions on their journey and they suffered a heavy price to escape death. The heirs are eager to finally get to the bottom of the truth why they were named on the Empress' will, the cause of all the recent drama and pain. Chapter 2 - The Empress' Will - Post 1-10

[Admin Dirk]

I am proud to nominate Ronarscorruption's "Desert Sands" to the voting

Name: Desert Sands
DM(s): Ronarscorruption
Players to the very end: Ronar, Aosaw, Foggyknight, Gath, myself, with a small plethora of wonderful gamers moving in and out through the storyline/past.
Reasons for nomination: DS has everything you could want in a game. It has been moving forward for over 4 years. It has an award winning DM, in a rich, creative world of his own creation. It has the greatest theme ever in a DnD game, going against a dragon... and it's been many exciting years, and we haven't fought her yet. Ronar has brought together seasoned, veteran players, and integrated fresh, new players into the game at the same time, just what you want from an inclusive, open-armed game.

While players have come and gone, many of their PC's remain, fixtures throughout. And yet, there are players who remain through the game, but with multiple characters moving through the cycle. We have mages and minotaurs, rogues and ice princesses, elven queens and reincarnated demi-goddesses. Sometimes, we seem to fight ourselves more than the bad guys, but through it all, Garig and Koma and the dozen manifestations of Jake, Nymthraz, Nibdelas, Nikta and Mana stumble their way to the final confrontation with Brauava, the great dragon.

Links:

The party typically consisted of 5 semi-permanent PCs: Nibdelas, Nymthraz, Garig, Jake, and Koma. In a previous adventure, Nibdelas had sacrificed her life, and been destroyed, in order to save the party, and recover an important artifact to be used against the evil Dragon Brauava. In this portion of the adventure, however, Garig, an absent-minded transmutist, has recreated Nibdelas (Nib) using his magics, and brought her "back" from the dead to help fight once again, not realizing the impropriety of his actions. His magics, however, were short term, and the re-created Nibdelas lasted long enough this time to save their lives once again, and then bring back a lot of emotions among her friends, who must face losing her one more time, while their grief is still raw.

The aftermath


And, an example of some of the great posting that occurs throughout the game. Little gems, scattered across the game, to be savored when found.

In this post, the party is in "downtime" between deadly battles, resting in a small camping area in the woods. In it, Nym carries out something as simple as bathing and braiding hair while holding a conversation.

You don't often get into the very everyday, ordinary, and mundane things like bathing and cleaning during a DnD adventure, but I felt that Gath really set the scene and drew a very in-depth picture of the "new" Nym with this scene. There's no blood, no magic, no swords or sorcery, just a great picture of a simple, everyday thing, that still brings forth something about the characters involved as Nym and Nibdelas explore this new phase of Nym's existence, and Nym explores a new set of interesting feelings.

Down Time

[Agrudez]

Name: Dungeon Dive

DM(s): Agrudez at the start, but it grew from there and has shifted over time. As of this writing, the team consists of Agrudez, SecretID, Foibel and Spinrad.

Current Players: More than 100 unique PCs have played DD over the past couple of years, so I doubt you want me to list them all. Some of my favorites that are no longer with us (or the site), though, were: Zubene, Kjelldon, Lykaen, ClarkieP, ChaoticInsignia, Emmanem. I won't list favorites from the current game for hopefully obvious reasons (*cough* except for a shout to The Rat Queen *cough*)

Reasons for nomination: I won't bore you with flowery details, because that is the antithesis of this game. As of this posting, the game has recorded 36,000 posts across more than 150 dungeon dives enjoyed by more than 100 unique player characters across its >2 year contiguous run (the official twinkle in the eye moment was 6/2/2017). You don't have to comb far through other dnd 5e games on this site to see Dungeon Dive's fingerprints, as I have seen firsthand how many new players have come to the game and went on to be inspired to start games of their own - some of which I was lucky enough to partake in myself through the past couple of years.

Our motto is that DND isn't all guts and gore and experience points. Just mostly those things.

Links: I fear we're at a disadvantage here because we keep most games on lock for only those participating to see, so that we can keep mystery alive for other players in the dungeons. Also, having 36,000 posts to comb through for the best 10 contiguous is a task that sounds rather daunting. Here are links to our first two game-wide events, which saw large swaths of our community come together for a single purpose, though. In The Dragon's Den, 12 adventurers teamed up to investigate a dragon attack on the city and then raided its lair. In The Dread Clock, we played with some multiverse concepts and saw twenty total PCs split across different groups (and DMs) end up in an alternate dimension of the same haunted town - all fighting to escape before, literally, time ran out.

[Securis]

Elghinn Il'tess Wun l' Olath (Death Awaits In the Dark)

Working DMs: Securis and Sageheart
Observing DMs: Icereach, prometheous100, and MoonZar

Herein records an attempt to imbue for you 'fable-hearted' few, the nature of these treacherous tales from the episodes in Elghinn Il'tess Wun l' Olath. Many are the actors wherewithin, who took part in the accounts over broken years of mind-lost toil. Not all who padded silently thither came the full dark descent until so many recent notations have been set down but not one contribution can be forgotten. Unknown and known alike, nigh even the high and famous, joined the file of those seeking portions of the fell deeds in infinitely darker and darker quarters of the Underdark. I humbly present to you this appeal in honor of every word written and all the gleeful joy imparted by my compatriots, my friends. May I gift you my hidden delight.

 

Players	Players	Players	Players	Players
Birched	Symthrell	Squeak	Embrodak	The Firkraag
AlwaysCivilMike	Nightstalkers	Whispers	Jinx	Admin TeufelHeunden
JayRob	Grogg Tree	RoBi	Acathala	Grand Poohbah
Eviltedzies	Awake	Giot	Vicount	OneDarkness
Mairien	Drakeblade	Cristal08Darkmoon	Sir Alex	sanitas infirma
mountainbound	SurrrealityNow	Kuroyama	Tashakar	ByronBulb
Doggius	Renen	Kainti	Battlechaser	AgentBonkers
Rasone77	Orcbane	Chrystrom	DarkShard	Kanavel
Simkin	Cidolfas	Bearclaw2825	Sagetalon	Amos
PsionicRanger	LostViking	Cleokatrah	RacesWild	MundayKnight
raventalon	barelyundead82	Renor	Naes	Renau1g
Lyrix	Ricktur63	Talekeeper	Roaddog41	Vaeadil
Mortally Wounded	Girkon	Erasmus	aerondor	SouloMischief

BOLD = Active Players

66 players overall
189 threads
11,707 posts
1st post - circa 8/15/2006
last official post - Revivified and Alive in 2019.

https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthre...92#post6355292
The first 10. After much dissembling and offering of oaths this gabbled-together band of disparate houses set out on a sortie against the Phaerimm Masters of Ooltul.

https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthre...53#post5803053
After the destruction wrought in the fall of Ched Nasad, the remaining houses were forced to offer noble birthrights to those with potency to defend a house. The new Bhintyrr meet their Mother and get marching orders. Kill the defilers and bring trade back to the Chasm.

[Bhelogan]

Name: Mysoth – Winds of Change
DM(s): Bhelogan
Current Players: Craigthulu, Skep, Nasrith, soon to be adding a few more as well. Too many past players to list them all here.

Reasons for nomination: Mysoth - Winds of Change was the first game I started DMing on RPGX. It was submitted for HoF back in 2017, and we feel it is due another shot at it. One of the fun things about a game that runs this long, is seeing development, both in the skill of the DM and players, but also in the growth of the characters as story arcs unfold.

We started with four groups of players, each taking their characters out on a two-month excursion do serve under Brandon Highwater, Captian of Rythey, as part of their mandatory militia service. During that time, and over the course of the years since 2015, some stories have ended, while others merged and continued. Our brave Soldiers followed their Captians orders (sometimes begrudgingly) to discover the threat of an ancient white dragon reawakening and the invasion of a Yuan-Ti army after a millennium of being banished. At the end of it, Rythey was destroyed by the Dragon, and then overrun by the Yuan-Ti. Our soldiers now return to their homelands, with grave news, only to find that the outlying towns have been devastated by rampant Ogre attacks. As our story continues into its fourth year, the party will make new allies, and determine which threats they can address, and which to pass on to others.


Links:
Return to Rythey
The Scene was set here, where our Soldiers returned to Rythey, after finding a source of magic that had kept the Yuan-Ti temple bound deep in the earth for a thousand years. They were returning to give their commander, Brandon Highwater the news, when they found the fortress was desolate, covered in ice. These posts go over how the party took in the scene, and what it meant to them. And of course, post 332 by Skep was our January 2019 Post of the Month.

I thought about including some of the previous links from the 2017 nominations but have decided to leave it with just the one above.

[gravenimages]

Arbiters of a New Age Well. Last year didn't go so well, did it? Sixth place. Didn't even qualify for a paricipation trophy. Loki takes a sip of his scotch, swirling the remainder in his glass as he considers. But it's time again, isn't it? Let's see what we’re up against. Hmm. Looks like last year's theme is alive and well. Let's try something different, shall we? Take a load off, be our guest for a few minutes, fortunate reader. Ease on out of that plate mail, put down the holy symbol and components for a spell. I'm Loki, kind of the unofficial spokesperson for the game. Yeah, I know you were expecting ’this guy’ Nice guy, but kind of... Wishy washy, though, don't you think? You want someone to really OWN that role, right? Like their life experiences have prepared them for it. Junior as Tony Stark. Reynolds as Deadpool. Me as Loki. But I digress. Up above, we have the Arbiters. Some of you might call us gods. Kind of important to the overall story seeing as how each of the PCs is the Champion for one of us. Pretty good cross section too. Favor the greek and roman gods? We have Athena, Boreas, Vulcan, and Poseidon. Like the Norse gods? Excellent taste if I may say so. Well represented by my humble self and my hard-partying brother, Thor. Like it biblical? Each of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Want something fresh and new, maybe a little bit of a hippie vibe? We have Petran, god of the earth, and Ferocus, god of nature. Down below… Well frankly kind of a mess. How about we watch a little clip to bring you up to speed? Loki steps out of the way to reveal an old-fashioned reel-driven movie theatre camera which begins projecting on a large white screen. ’We don’t need no education’ Bright fluorescent lights shine overhead as the door flies open and Loki strides through, now dressed in a tweed suit with patches on the elbows. He picks up a piece of white chalk and waves it thoughtfully as he speaks. "So, it's an education you want? Then an education you must have!" He begins drawing crude figures on the chalkboard. "Well, first thing you should know is that there are three, no four, sides. There are the angels," he draws a crude cartoony figure with wings and a halo to the right "the demons," he draws another figure with horns and a tail to the left "the humans," he draws an unornamented figure in the middle "and the Arbiters, the neutrals like me." He finishes with a fairly elaborate drawing just above the human of a judge in a fancy wig sitting behind a desk with his hands folded. He puts down the piece of chalk and picks up a yardstick, which he uses to gesture at the figures as he speaks. "Now, the demons and the angels HATE each other, " he spells out HATE on the board "and the poor humans down on Earth get caught in the middle. It is our job to protect them, to keep the peace between Heaven and Hell. However, the last, oh, four dozen times we tried this directly, the world was tragically destroyed. So, oh, several thousand years ago, we came up with the idea of, hey, why don't we block EVERYBODY from coming down to your world. So, we forged a barrier, and with a few exceptions, it's worked pretty well." He turns back from the board and straightens his purple bow tie. "But, in order for it to work, we needed to stay on our side as well. Needless to say, we all decided 'Nothing doing!' and we all chose vessels to mop up the occasional spill on earth. This worked, but over time, fewer and fewer Champions have been around. It may surprise you to learn that in the past two hundred years, there have been more incidents of a mystical persuasion than in the preceding forty centuries. This naturally concerned us, and it was decided that yes, maybe we should pick some Champions again." Now seated in a red velvet approximation of a movie-theatre seat, Loki sets aside a ginormous tub of popcorn. Oscar-worthy performance, if I must say so. But we don’t just have angels and demons. We have pretty much else you can think of. Vampires? Sure. Wizards? Yep. Zombies? Absolutely. Fae? Yep. Think of them as a cross between LOTR elves and Woodstock. Santa Claus? YES! Shadowy multinational paramilitary organization bent on eliminating all of the above, while using many of the same resources to accomplish this? We did, but someone kind of broke it. "Someone" being the PCs leveragining an alliance with the Vampire Council. Frankenstein's monster? Sadly no, but one of our Champions speculated that it wouldn't actually be that hard. We keep a close eye on that guy just in case. But, I'm getting ahead of myself. I see there's a form to fill out. Let’s see... Name, sure. Current players, gotcha. Past players optional? Sure, why not: ’Game Info’ Name: Arbiters of a new Age DM: WhovianBeast Current Players: Acathala Drachenspirit gravenimages PalladiaMors Shylocke Retired Players: Attitude Avner Bluejack Classic Gamer MrKinister Sierra 159 Tover TheFirkraag ’Reason for nomination’ Each player gets to feel like the star of the show. WhovianBeast shows an uncommon ability to juggle several different instances seamlessly, and bring along new characters with a full, rich ‘prequel’ experience based largely on their own character bio, while advancing the main story as well. The posting rate and overall volume looks like a score obtainable only via a video game hack. Despite this the game has a rich storyline, vibrant settings, and an abundance of well-portrayed NPC characters. With so many great NPCs, it's hard not to keep posting and posting just for the fun of interacting with them and watching them develop. Now, I'll admit that this means every single post isn't going to win a Pulitzer. But quantity has a quality all it's own. We have a little more wiggle room that a conventional game. It’s OK to split the party. It’s actually encouraged. You don’t have to get along with all the other players. Or characters. Plenty of time is given to interact with the other players without having to go rescue a princess or slay a dragon. Characters are able to develop deep and nuanced relationships with each other, and the many NPCs in the game… Be it friend, rival, or foe. Death is not the end. Ol’ Morty himself, Death, the Horseman, is kind of a jerk. But he does keep a spatula handy to scoop up dead PCs and put them back to work. Now, to some this would seem like a removal of serious consequence. However, WhovianBeast has effectively traded the “When you die, I can’t hurt you anymore.” maxim for ‘“He who hath friends and family members hath given hostages to the GM.” Several of the characters have seen this come into play already, and the others are fearfully awaiting their turns. ’links’ All right, that’s enough talk. Let’s have a look at a few clips to see the game in action: Newly anointed Champions Enoch and Orrin commiserate during the middle of a mission to find and heal a critically injured compatriot of another Champion. This should have been the end of the mission, in fact, if not for one crucial element. Handling the situation involves exploring each character’s moral response to the situation, and sheds a bit of light on their backstories. Friendship is Magic, 200-209 For any TV show that goes on long enough, eventually there will be a wedding. Might be a trope but it was inescapable. One of the dangers of PBP is contexts getting out of sync timewise due to post rate and the granularity of action from one context to the next. This sequence also highlights the utility of the timeskip post to resolve such discrepancies. Nanotech and Gold Lace, 1887-1896 I have ten clips just as good raring to go, but even Arbiters must answer to a higher power. It’s a really entertaining read if you start from the beginning, even though it was the GM’s first effort onsite and with the system for that matter. Now, for those of you heathens out there who like jumping in at the middle and trying to puzzle out the whys and hows, you’ll be entertained as well if not baffled. Thanks for taking the time to review this nomination. In closing, I’ll just say… Hoard those hero points.

[Exhibit A]

Jade Regent
https://www.rpgcrossing.com/forumdisplay.php?f=14623

Name: Jade Regent
DM: Hound
Current Players: MoonZar, Exhibit A, wodine, dbaque, kaylara, Fyre2387
Former Players: Kylie, ogamodyna, Oddman80, Jondera

Reasons for Nomination For going on four years now, and over 2.5k posts, this game has been a joy to be a part of. It may be a Paizo-published AP, but that hasn’t stopped Hound from pulling out all the stops as DM. On the mechanical side, he has been quite generous to the PCs, and making us all feel quite powerful, while still making the combats challenging and interesting. On the narrative side, he sets scenes phenomenally, and regularly rewards good roleplay from the players. We’ve lost our share of players along the way, but the new players we’ve added are as devoted to the game as those of us who were there from the start. The player characters have truly grown over the run of the game, developing bonds and relationships with each other as well as NPCs. Speaking only for myself, I feel a real attachment to not only my own character, but others in the party.

Links https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthre...74#post8026574 This first section might show a bit of personal bias, as it kicks off with my own character’s death and ends with his resurrection. We were ambushed by a powerful undead after investigating a mysterious cabin in the icy north. I feel that the various PCs’ reactions do a good job of showing off the story we’ve built. https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthre...80#post8099780 The next bit also includes a character death (not me this time), at the hands, or rather teeth, of the white dragon Vegsundvaag. There’s more great character stuff here, as well as quality storytelling from our DM.

[Starflier]

Hall of Fame Nominee - Priestess Name: Priestess DM(s): tomplum Current Players: Superstrength79, Smokefire12, Starflier, undeadrajib, Shaede, LinguaManiac, Berith, gjf2a, Tommyk382, saratek187, Kaiya, cookieyummy, Andor, voodoozombie, Strange2099, Vislands, Odyssey, Tinuviel, DaysUntold, hafrogman, Drager Past Players: Trmmilwwi, Aaric, Duskdog, Redwolf0214, Arthrillian01, mrtowne, Anazider, mandaanne, gotha, SomeGuy, Solid Snek, Tad, Maskain, Landsknects, PeasOfCrab, Jat, Vicorin, Astra Reasons for nomination: Scale and World building. The original recruitment ad offered a relatively simple premise, protect a priestess on a pilgrimage, but the game has expanded into something much grander. Now with four separate games (Brekka, Sanctaid, Khul Boldohr, and The Empty Hills) running across this shared world, the scale of the game is impressive to behold with intimate, personal stories being told against the backdrop of epic conflicts between good and evil. Tomplum has gifted the world a lived-in quality that makes it easy to move through and does an excellent job of working with the players to build upon everything that’s come before. The characters aren’t just moving though a Medieval Adventure Fun-time Land, they’re an integral part of the world building. And for those inevitable times when players and their characters fall by the wayside, tomplum aggressively recruits replacement players to keep things from stagnating, while still managing to bring their characters into the story with finesse. Links: Brekka - The Watch - Post 32-41 - This stretch of posts covers a long rest following a tough battle with azer guards, and is two separate, interweaving conversations between four characters (Jubai with Durndim; Alaura’lyn with Cadogan). It comes shortly after Cadogan and Durndim meet up with the original Brekka group during another battle which cost them two of their members, leaving everyone a little raw and unsure of themselves. Sanctaid - The Aftermath - Post 239-248 - Having fought and bled and sacrificed to recover a holy artifact, a heated argument breaks out among the heroes as they finally find themselves face-to-face with those sworn to guard the holy site of Sanctaid.

[Inem]

Pokemon: Forgotten Stories Name: Pokemon: Forgotten Stories DM: Inem Players: Present: FoggyKnight, goplayer7, Captain Devonin Past: godofallbears, BrokenPlayer, Banemorth Surnok Reason: Now, I don't typically nominate my own things for these kinds of events, however, I'm going to make an exception this year, because this game is something I'm very proud of for a variety of reasons, and this is definitely one of my favorite RPG projects ever, both on RPGX and in real life. To start off, this game is, at the time of me writing this post, 3.5 weeks away from its 7 year anniversary. That's about 1.5 years longer than the portion of my real life I've spent in my last two jobs combined. To my knowledge, it is by far the pokémon game with the longest lifetime ever on the site, and it is also the one with the most posts (by a significant margin). During those 7 years, there was a time of about 3 years in real life time (for chapters IV a, b and c which all happen in parallel) where the group split up in an attempt to lose some dangerous people on their trail. During this time, I was essentially running three solo/duo adventures for my players in entirely different parts of this homebrew world (many parts of which, by the way, they still haven't even come close to exploring). Play by post certainly has some issues compared to regular tabletop games in real life (the main one of course being how much slower it progresses), I'm sure we are all aware of that. However, it is sometimes easy to forget that as a medium, it also has unique strengths compared to sitting at a table, and I was able to explore one of them here. Splitting the group for such an extended period of time is something I wouldn't have ever considered in a real life game, due to two thirds of the players having to just sit around at the table without anything to do, whereas here I could just run it in parallel. It was an experiment here, but I learned that it can work in PbP, and I will likely use it again in future games. Seeing how the characters grew and developed on their own, away from the others, and watching the payoff when they finally reunited was definitely worth the effort. Achieving longevity in a game on RPGX is hard. One typical way to do it is by regularly bringing in fresh blood. I've done so myself multiple times in the past, so this next part should certainly not be taken as judgment of doing so. However, another big reason this game sticks out to me is that I never had to get replacements, because even after 7 years, half of the original cast of six players is either still in the game or back after a hiatus. I think this feat in itself is amazing. And while the post rate has certainly slowed down since the game's beginnings (because over that long a period of time, life definitely takes its toll on people), it is still going and never came to a stop. The fact that even in rough times when the game really slowed, everyone still around stuck with it, just goes to show what we know we have here. And while the frequency might be lower than in the early days, the quality of posts, if anything, has increased. There's a reason that despite having considered it several times, I have never brought in any replacements players. The ones I do have mesh well together, which includes enough conflict between them to keep things interesting, and make up a quite interesting and highly talented group that still enjoys this adventure with me after all these years. My players have nominated this game in the past (2014 and 2015), but I don't think it ever got the attention it deserved. I know a lot of people will have a hard time looking past the fact that this is a pokémon game. But make no mistake, this is not the same pokémon you might know from television or from video games. Though we like to have fun and there is the occasional cheerful interlude, at its core this is a dark and gritty story that has had the characters on the run from an evil cult for most of the game, unable to trust anyone after finding hints that the cult might control the police and might have infiltrated the military. Yes, this is pokémon. But this is also a story about things like Julia (Captain Devonin's character) developing what is Disclaimer: I'm certainly no medical doctor, so not qualified to make an official diagnosis even on a fictional characterprobably a form of PTSD, after an early battle that went very poorly and resulted in deaths. There's a lot here. Give it a chance and take a look. It's more than worth it!

Link 1 Link 1: One beginning and one end This is one of my favorite sequences from any game ever, taking place during chapter IV, during the party split. FoggyKnight's character (Robin), and BanemorthSurnok's character (Jason), have been traveling together, separately from the rest of the group. They are an unlikely pair, with almost all of Robin's pokémon having joined her voluntarily after a talk, rather than a battle, and are chosen because she likes them, whereas Jason has captured all of his by force and prefers strength. His first pokémon was his Scyther, originally named "Rage" (after Jason captured her in a physical fight in which she slashed open his chest) and later renamed "Prayer" (after the two have gone through some growth and come to understand each other much better). He also has a Totodile that won't listen to him, and a Machop ("Lee") that is working through the fact that Jason forcefully removed it from its home and family. There has been quite some character development for Jason, especially with Robin's help, but he also still has a long way to go. Unfortunately, by this point, Banemorth had been gone a while, and I decided it was time to write his character out of the story. Robin and Jason have their first ever gym battles against gym leader Joey, with the first post in this sequence capturing the tail end of Robin's victory, followed by Jason's loss. The real highlight are the posts after the first, however, where Jason goes through some more growth and decides it is time for him and Robin to part ways. I'm very pleased with this entire sequence, and FoggyKnight's reactions are incredibly believable and well done, as she realizes she can't help Jason with this. A great ending (for now?) for a crucial character in the story.

Link 2 Link 2: A fun trip goes completely wrong. This happens earlier, in the third chapter of the game, when the group has been on the run from an evil cult for quite a while but before they split up to avoid them. After helping return a little girl's Pokemon to her, the group was offered a sort of 'once in a lifetime' opportunity. Her father owned a diving company, and he said he found something off the coast. He wasn't sure what it was, wasn't even sure if it was something, so he offered to let the group come along and check it out. If nothing else it would be a fun diving trip (Captain Devonin's character, Julia, even invites Tammy, an NPC she has a crush on, along in the hopes of them getting to know each other better), and the lure of possible sunken treasure was too great to ignore for some. Turns out, it wasn't a sunken pirate ship, but rather a sunken submarine. Despite some reservations, the group went to investigate. This post... they found the crew, and wished they hadn't. Posts were originally secret not long after this (because in true horror movie style, I managed to split up the group , but I've gone back and started unsecreting for those who want to read further).

[Khalil]

Nomination Format Name: The Gates of Might DM(s): LeDragon Current Players: Anamiac as Dorin Fulmer the orc-raised gnome Skald whose drum stick beats gives an awesome rage bonus that goes highly underutilized, Khalil as Reza Meing the incredibly versatile defected and on the run sorcerer, Tafratin as Klug the brave half-orc oracle whom meets his foes head on, Tilbert as Thalia Wistlethorn follower of Elhona and the de facto leader of group. And a numerous assorted cast of supporting cameos by other community members. Reasons for nomination: A traditional find a gig at the local inn leads to an adventure to save the world. Sounds cliche right? Except nothing about this game is as straight forward. The Gates of Might has been running since 04-01-2012. That is 7 years steady dedication by both GM and players, some located in the Old World, and some located in the New World. Links: The liberation of Coldwater from a tyrant priest reveals the main plot to characters. That being that some evil deity has some interest in opening the Gates of Might! Gates which if opened would unleash a horde of demons upon the unsuspecting and politically pre-occupied kingdoms which claim domain over the world setting. Simple villainous plan, stopped by heroic happenstance adventurers. And the key to opening the gates now safe and secure in the hands of a mage guild dedicated to stopping powerful artifacts from getting into the wrong hands. Easy week of work... well except the guild being betrayed by the Prime Archmage (the head honcho) of the guild, whom then runs off with the "key" off to somewhere. In the meantime like three other factions (pissed of god servants, mysterious tentacled faced people, and the Magyarians) appear to be highly interested in this key. All apparently for their own nefarious reasons. Off our heroes go in chase for this key, except the Matriarchy like government and a mage guild full of self-interested individuals specifically told them not to leave town or else... Across the water they embark, ending the threat of an infamous pirate lord, who'd thought they would make easy prey. Player shenanigans Heroic ingenuity ensues and the pirate ship goes up in smoke before an epic ship battle has to take place... Come the heroes of the sea arrived at the new pit stop city, fully expecting to be rewarded for their service and to be promptly on the way. Except, no good deed goes unpunished as they say. The heroes apparently broke a recently signed peace treaty between the previously mentioned city and the pirates, ergo they go to trial... Post #205

[WhiteStag]

No More Secrets: Campaign and World Setting Name: No More Secrets -- PF 1e. DM: WhiteStag Current Players: dbaque, Bio, Vaedris, and Sirviantis. Withdrawn Players: Natsdemilla, Alatere, Zillessia, DarkMemories, and DukeofFrostfell. Reason for Nomination: First of all, I'd thank you all for taking the time to read all of our presentations provided here, and to consider these for the a potential position in the RPGx Hall of Fame. This forum, this website has been such a delight to take part in, providing countless hours of creative pleasure and wonderful and memorable friendships abound. Indeed, I voice a deep Thank You to RPGx from the bottom of my heart, and to all that contribute to make this celebrated haven possible. No More Secrets has been quite an endeavor these last two years, I must begin. This dreamt up homebrew campaign and setting is the culmination of twenty years of brainstorming, thematic exploration, numerous trials and errors in formulating compelling story lines, map-making, geographical research, and countless situations of pushing myself out of my comfort zones to JUST DO IT(!), and provide what I thought at first, to be stupid and silly ideas, ha! An overview: The Realm of Serraphys is in the throes of immense turmoil as a mysterious regime of religious fanatics have grown to great power, propped up presumably, by various aristocracy families of notorious reputation. This regime threatens and stifles the command of the celebrated King, rendering him utterly powerless in his efforts to retaliate and to take back rulership of his suffering Capital city, Ryth-Gorium, and to save his people from the systematic extinguishment at the hands of this terrible institution known as The Church of Daegon... Our Valedictorians, the gifted and prodigious PCs start the campaign graduating from the highly revered and world renowned magical institute known as White Bluff Academy, only to barge in on their beloved Headmaster in the terrible moments of a merciless kidnapping by elven assassins of precision and malice, that are possibly linked to this over arching theme of capital city corruption! The adventurers now have been recruited at the recommendation of their gracious Headmaster now saved-- to embark on a perilous journey across the realm to unravel the mystery of a fated politician that has recently been abducted as well(!), certain that she may hold valuable and incriminating information that will bring this fanatical religious regime to their bitter demise ... and, of course, to save the whole entire world in the process, Huzzah!!! This regime of Daegon is wantonly eradicating each and every source and individual that is capable of any trace of magical ability! They are responsible for great genocides of harmless and lesser known races that quietly and simply share the land with the more established races of Elves and Dwarves. Daegon wishes to strangle the power from The Noble King himself and to overthrow his lordship, with only few willing to come forth, and to fight back lending their assistance in these most dire of times. ~ ... But a prophecy is foretold, protected still by the very few - heralding a bright dawn of a new age amongst the darkness that veils the present. This kidnapped politician must be found, for she may have the next and most crucial clue! All will be divulged with glaring and absolute certainty - nothing will be left for question. All will be known openly and obviously - nothing will remain hidden. All will be shared and given freely - for nothing will be abused nor horded endlessly anymore, and for all time. No More Secrets will be told. No More Secrets will exist. _____ I must now speak on my illustrious quartet of original and dedicated players from the very launch... Matthias, the party's stalwart paladin, played by dbaque, is much the anchor piece in the campaign. Dbaque applies to the game and says something to the extent of, "I want to be the Crown Prince of your entire realm, and Heir to my father's Thrown." ... ... And I was like, "Whelp, OK THEN!" No seriously, dbaque is a stunning player and participant on this website as you can all see in his many characters on display during this Hall of Fame season. Dbaque can simply crank out compelling and marvelous narratives continuously, and the quality of his work in this campaign is no exception. And the man's vocabulary is ridiculous! An absolute pleasure db. Bio's character narratives are just down-right Hilarious(!) in just about every one of her posts. She brings such creative ideas, well thought out, and sound solutions to the many challenges thrown at her team. Witty, charming and sensible, 'Mama Bio,' is always looking out for her party in each and every situation. Code Cracker and Decipher'er Extraordinaire! Everyone take note. Vaerdis' character, Mari, is an unbreakable and thoroughly consistent personality, for certain! Rich, and so tangible are her character's subtle mannerisms and, at times, painfully shy demeanor. The investment in this game by Vaerdis is astounding! And her words are so descriptive and elaborate. I can almost FEEL little Mari's nervousness, jittering about at every moment. HA! And then there is Sirviantis... HAHA! Just kidding! Sirvi is an absolute pleasure to game with too! Polite, respectful AND extremely talented as a writer. Amazing! His narratives are as equally captivating; a wonderful command over punctuation and sentence structure, strong palpable personalty, eloquent and fluid narrative flow. Humorous(!), oh-so witty and humorous, and that ravenous inner monologue(!), Lady Illercyes meddlesomely... plunges around the campaign gallantly with her giant armored battle beetle in close tow. Thank you Sirvi. ~* The story is rich with plot twists and unexpected turns of circumstance. Entire towns have been swept away right under the PC's feet in mere hours by magical and veracious thunderstorms. Assassins have been thwarted! Raids on stockpiled, armory wagons have been unraveled, only to learn that their cache wasn't powerhouse rifles as originally thought, but decaying corpses of innocent children, being shipped off to God knows where! Prominent and powerful friendships have been established with revered NPCs, come to learn... possibly granting some prestigious and overpowered weapons to our young PCs... We will indeed see what comes of them. For I believe in rewarding HANDSOMELY! And FAST! Pbp takes a long time!!!!! but worth it in the end. So many juicy word desserts to be meticulously crafted and presented with anticipation, eventually to be devoured by hungry players eager for the next surprising plot twist! Music for scene-setting tone is accompanied in many GM posts. So many pictures and text art are dabbled about the pages. Broad, rich and colorful maps are provided for grand layout view- in the parties' continuous pursuit across the vast realm, while close, intimate battle scenes are brought to life in vivid detail with other specialized cartography software. Supplementary threads are included to illustrate and commemorate those glorious loot items attained, a must(!), and to demarcate hard-earned experience points awarded for countless situations neutralized and/or conquered with prowess and finesse. An informational thread is also provided, referencing and tracking all relevant NPCs met and established, and a segment of Key Story Notes that further tracks poignant information the PCs have gathered as to reference at later times. I know large campaigns as this take YEARS and years to adventure through. I simply had to provide a handy key-info page of all important clues gathered thus far, as it is tedious to remember all the important little details that took place way back when. Truly, this whole endeavor these last two years has easily blown past my grandest imagination of what this was going to be like. So much of the proverbial, Blood, Sweat and Tears is wrought into the narratives of each post on my GM side, and my players alike. I think I know more about my four players' personalities, than I do my real-life friends. Seriously. Cheers Everyone! Thank you so much for reading again, and for considering this game for the Hall of Fame. Links: Little Molly   PCs are awoken in the middle of the night by quiet whimpering in the hallway of an Inn they have booked for the evening. The whimpering is that of a very sorrowful and frightened young prostitute come to learn, that has been mistreated and... mishandled by a dubious and fellow Inn mate staying down the hall... The virtuous heroes intervene and learn that the detestable man is a high ranking acolyte of the Church of Daegon, the fanatical religious regime that commands such a notorious reputation throughout the realm. The confrontation escalates!... to say the very least, revealing that these Daegon acolytes; those that abhor and openly condemn magic proliferation, are in fact magical werewolves themselves in disguise! A storm rages outside all the while, ending in traumatic destruction of the whole Inn itself, and the entire city around it... Including their beloved training institute and home for the last several years, White Bluff Academy. ~Link Caravan Shenanigans   The team has just met up with a traveling caravan that will accompany them safely to their destination on the coast. The PCs carry some peculiar items they managed to pilfer from the aforementioned, detestable clergyman the night prior just before the whole town drowned under the weight of the torrential thunderstorm. They now consult this caravan's magic merchant to leverage him to identify said items and hopefully trade them for more useful gear and tools. The interaction demonstrates the team's wonderful role play narratives. At the same time, as more than one timeline of events are being addressed in the following posts, Matthias, played by dbaque has just been revealed as the Crown Prince of the Throne to the shock and surprise of the rest of the team, along with the information that these ruthless Daegon acolytes are hunting him with undeniable effort. He is a grave liability now and the team discusses how to proceed. And finally, to add more stress to the situation, the troupe meets the caravan's shady armed guard platoon for the first time, realizing that they are indeed not welcome here in the caravan, and to stay quiet because some secret dealings have been precisely planned to transpire that very evening, unbeknownst to the caravan's head command himself. Well then, this may be a perfect opportunity for PCs to earn their keep! ~Link