OOC: Best Moments of the North Marches

[Marullus]

As I look back, we began this game over two and a half years ago and have made 12,884 posts on 36 different IC expedition threads.

Wow! You guys have done some amazing things! This has really been a great time and I'd like to encourage you all to take a little time to reminisce over your favorite moments.

I encourage you to go back through the completed expeditions and enjoy reading the fantastic little novellas you all have collectively written. Feel free to make posts here and link back to your "best of" moments for others to share and enjoy as well.

I am fine with sharing OOC information, particularly about now-resolved storylines. Please share what you wish and celebrate each other's awesome stories -- I ask that players not take anything IC that they didn't already know.

[Marullus]

The Last Charge of C'ang Derr'Thorn

The only character played by Valdus, he didn't even live for an entire expedition! C'ang used his critical success to save Foxy O'Hare's life from Scatha the Red Dragon's mouth, knocked out the dragon's living tooth which led to Baxtaw fashioning the sword that allowed the dragon to be slain, and then sacrificed himself to allow the party to escape.

This was the single greatest example of suicidal bravery in the game and directly led to world-changing outcomes (saving Foxy who then fought the dragon in single combat to save the town, stealing the tooth from the dragon's mouth).

[Marullus]

Sir Irving the Handsome's Single Combat Against the Forces of Chaos

Irving was the only character played by Keehnelf, who we honor as the GM of the original West Marches campaign which preceded this North Marches one. (Together, they are the first and second largest games ever on this site.) RL allowed him to return and play Irving on On a Mission from Baudh and On a Mission from Baudh II.

At the end of that first expedition, the party was ambushed coming out of the tombs and the entire party was dying or unconscious. He summed it up well:

Disarmed and alone vs seven kobolds and an uninjured ogre? Aaaaaagh

Bold, unexpected, and completely IC for someone with INT 4 and CHA 17 who believed himself to be a storybook hero, Irving challenged the Ogre to single combat for the lives of everyone. His challenge SUCCEEDED, then he slew the ogre and WON.

[Marullus]

The Murder of Kellstrom

Some things are poignant and overlooked... the death of Kellstrom the Cleric, for example, was murder by captain Bremen "for the good of the party." Captain Bremen tried to convince the party to leave Kellstrom, but the others insisted that the dying character needed to be saved, which (as he was the only cleric) meant they'd have to camp in the wilderness fraught with gargoyles for a day to stabilize him before bearing his stretcher back to town at a slow pace. Since the party wouldn't agree, Bremen bashed in Kellstrom's head discretely to ensure he was too dead to be saved (and Markd failed his rolls to notice).

This was the first truly evil act for Bremen as an evil character, masked under justification as evil often is, and agonized over in private forums. As the player of Kellstrom, Stirling was made aware of the actions OOC. It impacted much in the future course of the game and I compliment both Rusty and Stirling for their handling of this roleplay scenario as players.

Looking back now that Bremen has advanced to Evil Warlord ( ), it is these small changes that seem most profound.

[Marullus]

The Inglorious Death of Carchannoi and Tyrrell

This scene was the only TPK in the game's history (though that, in itself, is surprising!). Tyrrell and Carchannoi had the good fortune to be guarded by a charmed goblin guard, so they were robbed but not slain while previously unconscious in Guhra's Tower. They went as a Cleric and an Elf with three charmed goblin guards to threaten Bizlenik the goblin shaman into giving their stuff back. Instead, a lone goblin with 4 hit points manages to bludgeon Carchannoi the elf to death with a stone candlestick and then kill Tyrrell the cleric by throwing a chamberpot.

The pair previously saw all their companions dead in a misadventure below Guhra's Tower -- the deaths of Gaeron and Dorath. Adding insult to the injuries? They were all lying dead, dying, or bleeding in the necromantic laboratorynext to the unidentified Rod of Resurrection.

[Marullus]

Carchannoi's Small Evil Army

Early on in the game, Carchannoi was the first character to really use the Charisma rules to his advantage. As a high-Charisma Elf with a Charm Spell, an evil alignment, and the willingness to use them together, he had an array of hijinks which other players are likely to never have read. Until his Inglorious Death (above), he had a total of two ogres and about 20 goblins under his control at various times. He was knocked unconscious and saved by his charmed henchmen two or three times (as he took fun but ill-advised risks). He successfully Charmed Guhra the Goblinness and had free reign of her tower for a time.

Expedition - Carchannoi/Return to the Ogres - 08 May 2021

[Zhym]

Down Goes Scatha!

This isn't a completed expedition yet, but the slaying of Scatha was pretty awesome. Through a combination of daring, hiding, and insanely lucky rolls, Baxtaw, Bremen, Lug, Osuna, and Piers (plus assorted NPCs) managed to kill the ancient red dragon.

Now they just need to make it out of the mountain...

viewtopic.php?f=353&t=7071&start=580#p380234

[Marullus]

Had Dinner and Didn't Get Stoned

I was highly amused by Bianca's expedition into the North Woods, where they came upon a tower of masked women and made friends, getting invited to dinner. The entire party (everyone but Halla the NPC) got Charmed and the players were all trying to suss out if the other characters weren't.

What was even better was when, almost a full RL month later, Alethan figured it out.

[Zhym]

Olaf Attacks...with FISH!

I laugh every time I read this:

viewtopic.php?f=353&t=7194&start=460#p383422

Olaf chugs his potion, feeling the strength of Giants surge through his muscles! He grabs a barrel of fish and leads the charge up the stairs, followed by Halfpint with her bow ready and then Funil, Drunil, and Steve who are inspired to follow him into melee. The wargs, thinking the trap is laid in their favor, are surprised as a barrel flies across the room and shatters on impact, scattering salty fish across the room in a shower of fins and brine. Halfpint's shot follows, striking the smallest warg and wounding it moderately (-5). Funil and Drunil then seize the advantage, following their kinsman into the room with a dwarven battlecry and cutting down the largest warg with their swords! (critical hit: Max damage, -10, -10) Steve takes a more defensive position in front of Halfpint and cuts down the wounded small warg, slaying it as well (-7).

Primed for their attack but distracted by the flying fish, the wargs lunge forward instinctively - their massive jaws savage Funil (-6) and Olaf (-2). Their goblin handlers sneer and cheer behind them, poking forward with their spears from a safe distance ineffectively.

Earc hangs back to not get in the way of the charge. Hereward and Florian roll the second barrel of fish to the top of the stairs so that Olaf can access it.

(Boldface added.)

That whole scene is hilarious. Nicely written, Marullus.