AOM: rise of the old ones

[Belial_the_Leveler]

Less than a century has passed since the Titans rose from their prisons in Tartarus and walked the Earth, the great Giants of Jotunheim and Muspelheim assaulted Midgard and the Old Ones, demons of the Netherworld and foes of Ra nearly destroyed Egypt witht he aid of Set.
Through the valor of great heroes and the sacrifice of countless brave warriors those evils were defeated and resealed-but the world was left almost in ruins. It is thus a time of rebuilding, the scattered remains of once mighty mortal nations raising new cities out of the ashes and ruins of the old.
But though the greatest of those evils were defeated they were not destroyed and their minions still plague the world. Countless monsters still ravage the land and destroy many communities in the wilds, only a few of the strogest population centers being somewhat safe.
In order to reclaim the lands from the monsters and avert a new disaster as more and more creatures rise from the depths, armies are being marshalled from Midgard to Egypt and from New Atlantis to the old kindoms of Sumer. But while discipline and tactics can overcome the savagery and numbers of lesser beasts, there are battles in which swords are of no use and enemies won't fall to the bite of an arrow or the blow from an axe. And as giants, horrible monsters and demons gather so do heroes from the corners of the world.
Perhaps the greatest problems and the largest loss of life, where human presence is too scaterred and large armies tread not is Midgard. The recent activities of the giant tribes from Jotunheim and Muspelheim have increased almost to the levels of Loki's attempt to bring about the Ragnarok a century ago. The gods, stricken by the loss of one of their number-Balder-and hunting down his murderer are unable (or unwilling) to aid in the rising conflict. Worse yet, the Norse tribes that once cooperated in the war against the Old Ones now seem to be fighting eachother.
In the midst of this chaos, heroes from the corners of the world come seeking fame in the slaying of monsters, emissaries from other pantheons come to give aid against the monsters or interfere in the course of the conflict and a few others come seeking to manipulate the fate of the world to their own ends.


New Atlantis highlands shore, north Alvion, Midgard

The remnants of Old Atlantis, having recently relocated to their new home in the south of the Norse lands have been under attacks from giants and monstrous wolves for more than a year. The city of New Atlantis-a glorified village, really-is built at the edge of an elevated plateau overlooking the sea below with long stairs carved into the rocks leading to the harbob more than a thousand paces lower. Low walls and palisades protect the town from three sides with the sheer cliff and sea beyond rendering the fourth largely inaccessible. A city of nearly sixteen thousand at the edges of the high moors and less than three leagues from the vast forests in the south, it has a bearable but chilly climate with almost daily rains and mists making it a dark place to live compared to Greece in the south but considerably warmer and more hospitable to agriculture than the lands of the Norse. The attacks from many tribes of giants in the last few months have made it a much more dangerous place to live though and the town is suffering from lack of trade and food as no farmer dares leave the sanctuary of the walls, no hunter dares enter the forest and many trade ships so far have been crushed in the rocky shores by the frequent storms and the boulders of giants.


A medium-sized fleet with no less than fifty ships has been gathered by other atlantean colonies throughout the world, their Greek allies and Norse and Egyptian friends. The fleet's mission? To discover what is going on with the large but recently isolated colony as no ship has come back for almost a year, send supplies and, eventually, build a strong base that will aid in the colonisation of the islands.
But as the ships approach the shores of Alvion, a sudden and terrible storm strikes unexpectedly, the waters seemingly boiling beneath the vessels and giant waves the size of small mountains swallowing those unfortunate enough to be thrown overboard by the winds, with the rain dangerously reducing visibility to no more than a couple dozen feet as the rocky shores come closer and closer...

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Characters are assumed to be in separate ships and not know eachother as the fleet is a joined effort from many lands-please think of a reason to be part of the fleet BTW-and your goal is (obviously) to reach the shore in one piece and (if you want) help the fleet do so as well. Other PCs can't see your characters right now but if you want to describe how your character looks like, it is a good opportunity.

[Jael_Darkwood]

Cassius

Cassius looks out at the storm, one hand firmly grasping the rails of the ship he rides. The flashes of lightning reflect wildly from his metallic tattoos, giving him an eldritch appearance. He barely seemed to notice as the ship heaved and shook... His gaze was focused on the distance. Somewhere, on the island, a monster lurked. His prey, his latest trophy. He idly fondles the hilt of his double-scimitar, and his sharp grey eyes attempts to pierce the storm.... Hunting... Always hunting. The wind whips around, tugging at his shiny grey-silver hair. He frowns.

[The Glyphstone]

Horskarn

On the prow of his own ship, the scattered flashes of light outline Horskarn's massive frame, currently shrouded in an oiled cloak cut from the skin of some immense sea beast. He leans on a weapon almost as tall as he is, a sort of grossly extended carving hook attached to a pole, and over his head floats a large circular disk of bronzed metal studded with gems. Whatever magic or sentience drives the shield doesn't seem to mind being used as an umbrella, though, as its master stares at the coastline and broods.
At last, I return to home...though from the waters this time and not the depths of the earth. At least the foes are the same - and I will reap much pleasure from continuing my vengeance feud upon all such creatures in league with those that destroyed my previous life.

[Duke of URL]

Melioli

On the deck of the Greek warship Gathenes, the nymph stands, surveying the storm. Short and slender, even by Greek standards, with earth-toned hair and skin, she could have commanded the respect of the soldier and sailors by her beauty alone, regardless of her power. And this was even with her true beauty somewhat cloaked.

She had joined the expedition because the reports about New Atlantis worried her that unnatural acts were the cause. The unusual storm served only to confirm her suspicions.

"Aneis," she says to an eagle taking shelter as best it can from the wind and rain, though in a language that no one else can understand, "I fear this storm is not a natural phenomenon. Be prepared to take flight for your own safety should the worst happen, and meet up with me later."

To the ship's captain she says, "I have no magic to alter storms as nature should be allowed to choose its own course. But I am not sure this storm is natural. I will do my best to protect the crew of the ship in case we run into trouble, but I trust in your skills to make such help unnecessary."

She begins casting a series of defensive magics that may be of use to herself and the crew of the Gathenes.

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Casting freedom of movement and true seeing on herself, followed by water breathing on the members of the crew (total duration 36 hours divided by the number of crew members)

[Jael_Darkwood]

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poke poke... this thing dead?

[Belial_the_Leveler]

DM'S NOTE:

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Seeing as only three out of six players that sent sheets actually posted here even after I waited for ten days...
I will open up recruiting again now-if you still want to play just confirm in the new thread.

[Jael_Darkwood]

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sure, post a linky?