In reference to this (http://www.efupw.com/forums/forum/information/announcements/669135-a-weekend-of-ymphian-adventure), I just wanted to emphasize that I will be running multiple little adventures with Arthur Vlach starting tonight late-night EST and through the weekend. I'm more than happy to include low level or new PCs in these but as always I vastly prefer to run dm stuff for characters that will be around a while - it is highly demoralizing to make loot/run stuff for a PC that is gone in a week.
There is an option for Friday or Saturday through Sunday morning to be a "Weekend of Ymphian Adventure," with a group being sent up to Ymph in search of certain things and having an opportunity to explore the wasteland that Ymph has become and perhaps tackle certain old EFUA/M quests. Of course such an expedition would be highly dangerous, somewhat beyond the expected difficulties of Vlach's other quests. And of course... if there is any other unrelated business that your character might have in Ymph, this would be a fine opportunity to pursue such.
Due to module area size limitations, I would probably run a version of the mod that has less Underdark areas for this period. It would also require a fair amount of time in preparation.
But before I commit to Ymph Weekend, I would like to get a sense of how many players would actually be enthusiastic about the idea and be prepared to head up above. It's not necessary to do for Mr. Vlach so it could easily be postponed or worked into some other thing in the future. If now isn't a great time for whatever reason (I know a lot of players recently lost characters to certain deadly tournaments), then I would prefer to run Ymphian Adventure some point in the future (easily as part of a different plot) when there are plenty of characters interested and prepared for such a journey.
So if you would like to voice an OOC opinion about whether you'd like Ymphian Adventures to be either this weekend or some other time feel free to do so in this thread or privately if you wish.
Regardless, Arthur Vlach will hopefully run his final retrieval event in the Underdark this coming Sunday early afternoon EST. It will be an event suitable for the entire server.
Ymphian adventure for all this weekend is my vote!
Put my name down. Sign me up. I'm in.
Edit: I'm gonna withhold my vote. I keep debating the pros and cons and, really, I'm just enthusiastic for this either way. Ymph now or Ymph later, doesn't make a difference to me!
It would be helpful if people would indeed vote for either:
1) Ymph this weekend, including all its dangers and horrible curses, and commitment to attend
Or
2) Stick with events in the UD for now; will run Ymph stuff as part of something else sometime in the future
YMPH!
The bigger the risk the bigger the reward
I will throw my hat in to a Ymph adventure as I know a lot of people want to go.
Voting for Ymph this weekend.
I would love to go to Ymph. I can only commit to attending on Sunday, though, so I understand if I have to be left behind.
I'll go to Ymph. Ready and able
Despite having said in IRC I'd love to go to Ymph I think it's better to let PC's grow in relatively safety at this point in time. Powers are still shifting and we haven't an established powerbase that'd warrant going to Ymph straight away. I'd postpone it to another weekend in the future. It'd be a shame if you'd have to make Ymph more accessible especially since it's supposed to be very difficult. That's just my opinion tho.
From my personal (and selfish) perspective, this entire week is awful for me and I will be gone for all of Sunday, so I wouldn't mind a delay, but completely understand if that's not doable.
YMPH!!!!
Not to detract from the Ymph fun but personally I think some ~revalations~ and flesh out of the Underdark should have focus than some weekend hijinks back in the old stomping grounds.
Hitting the nostalgia hammer button feels a little soon after so much emphasis was put on the people who tried to defy the Directorate getting sent to Ymph, or at least save it for maybe Hammer 23rd which is just around the corner.
My character would be enormously interested in a weekend of Ymphian adventure, as I know other characters loosely connected with him are. That is why I vote for UD stuff this weekend, simply because 1) I started playing him 2 days ago 2) I'll be away the entire weekend ...
I would like to head up above and see this Ymph place I've never been to, but to be honest I'd rather use an alternate to explore it as I am committed to my current PC and really don't want him cursed (any more than he is)
In saying that though, other people that've lost their chars recently may want to play a newly-made withering character (there's Exile Collective support for such characters) so don't be shy for running this Ymph adventure for other new characters since their playability after a curse would be enhanced, depending on ones perspective, when/if they return to the Underdark.
I think we might need another week though to get people somewhat better prepared or you'll probably see 30% safety cloaks and an unknown amount of flashpans.
I'd love to go to Ymph!
I'm down for ymphian adventures! As long as its on a sunday as planned, as saturdays i cannot attend at all, ever. I think however, i'll vote no for now, and yes for the future, since indeed i see a lot of fresh pc's that are just not ready for it yet, even if I am personally am. If it's going to go on anyways, count me in, i'm definitely down to go. If for the future, still count me in as long as its a sunday. But for now, vote is for the future.
To clarify, ff it happens it will be departing on Friday or Saturday, NecroTheDude!
To clarify -
If Ymphian Adventures, the expedition will depart Friday or Saturday and return late Saturday. Final event will be in the UD on Sunday.
If no Ymphian Adventures, there will be various small events happening in the UD through Sunday at which time there will be a concluding event.
I would be very interested in going to ymph
I'd love to go, but the spat of perma-deaths recently has left myself and most of the people in my timezone in a situation where we lack the supplies due to being relatively new characters. Also a little more relevant is that these events very often start after midnight GMT and often between 1am and 3am. So probably will never be suitable.
Save it for the month of Hammer.
I'm fully for Ymph. Sadly the nature of efu makes it hard to slot it so it fits every schedule, but it sounds like this weekend is good for a lot of people.
Ah well.. I probably can't go then, disregard my vote. If it were on friday I could go, but that it returns on saturday means I wouldn't be there for the end so I cannot go sadly! Sounds like a fun time anyways! I hope all who go have a blast, I miss Ymph.
After weighing pros and cons, I think it's clear that right now isn't a great time for Ymphian Adventures. I will therefore be spending the same amount of time as I would have preparing for that instead running as many dm quests as I can comfortably manage until a final event this coming Sunday.
I'll just use this thread to make some OOC notes about this little plot.
First, for those who participated in the quest last night involving delving into the Crypts below the Spire, please contact me to receive a skull item (1 per PC) of all who made it into the Crypts. All who made it to the final room please PM me a desired base item type, your character name, and a rough suggested theme (if you have already PM'ed me on IRC or forums, don't need to do so again).
Will hopefully be another two events today related to this, one starting in about 2 hours.
If anyone is interested, and doesn't mind waiting around a lot, there may be an opportunity for new PCs to be introduced into the setting with the first event. So if you would like to make a new PC feel free to contact me on IRC to learn how that can happen.
Running behind.... but am working on getting this ready.
Just going to post some shouts for those who couldn't make this event:
Quote::[DM Shout : For those on the event, permission is required from myself prior to any attempt to begin PvP or PvNPC at this stage. Thank you. ]::
::[DM Shout : [The torch light flickers in the freshly dug tunnels, twisting down and around into the bones of the Boneyard...] ]::
::[DM Shout : [The bones of the great hulk... slick and oily.... cracked in places, and attached as needed by long strands of glistening dridersilk.....] ]::
::[DM Shout : [Long collected... long gathered.... traded and sold, bartered and lost.... at last, at long last, all in one place] ]::
::[DM Shout : [The cultists in purple seem to be chanting something soft, difficult to hear....] ]::
::[DM Shout : [With great reverence, the purple-clad figure of Mr. Vlach places the huge diamond into one eye socket of the enormous skull......] ]::
::[DM Shout : [He then turns, and takes an enormous Ruby..... before, in turn, placing it into the other eye socket....] ]::
::[DM Shout : [Dripping sacks of gold.... 100,000 in value.... are then poured carelessly into a sinister brazier that burns with a purple flame....] ]::
::[DM Shout : [He then turns to the first of the seven thrones....] ]::
::[DM Shout : And in unison, the cultists chant: "And naught will be left save shattered thrones, with no rulers." ]::
::[DM Shout : And the first throne crumbles to dust. ]::
::[DM Shout : He goes to the second... and once more chants: ]::
::[DM Shout : "And naught will be left save shattered thrones, with no rulers." ]::
::[DM Shout : And the third.... ]::
::[DM Shout : "And naught will be left save shattered thrones, with no rulers." ]::
::[DM Shout : As each throne is destroyed.... cultists and others begin to chant the words.... ]::
::[DM Shout : "And naught will be left save shattered thrones, with no rulers." ]::
::[DM Shout : Once more a throne.... ]::
::[DM Shout : "And naught will be left save shattered thrones, with no rulers." ]::
::[DM Shout : He approaches the sixth throne.... ]::
::[DM Shout : And chants: "And naught will be left save shattered thrones, with no rulers!" ]::
::[DM Shout : And finally, he turns to the seventh throne, and chants.... ]::
::[DM Shout : "And naught will be left save shattered thrones, with no rulers!" ]::
::[DM Shout : He stands before the brazier, a look of sadness in his eyes suddenly... ]::
::[DM Shout : He says: "Thomas, old friend, it is time." ]::
::[DM Shout : The peculiar figure of Thomas Alqvin, once adventurer of the early days of Sanctuary, long exiled, long walking the pale path between life and death, long shopkeeper, long observer and friend to so many of Sanctuary`s villains.... ]::
::[DM Shout : ... stands before the brazier, thoughtfully, and he looks at the huge figure of bone before him..... ]::
::[DM Shout : He extends his skeletal hand.... and uses it to impale his own chest, and with a terrible grimace pulls out a shrunken, dusty, yet-still-beating heart.... ]::
::[DM Shout : With his final act, Thomas Alqvin drops the heart into the brazier, before collapsing and expiring forever more. ]::
::[DM Shout : And Vlach intones loudly : ]::
::[DM Shout : "BUT THE DEAD DRAGONS SHALL RULE THE WORLD ENTIRE" ]::
::[DM Shout : As the screaming ghostly apparitions of the Dragon`s soul circles the chamber.... the chant continues ]::
::[DM Shout : "BUT THE DEAD DRAGONS SHALL RULE THE WORLD ENTIRE." ]::
::[DM Shout : "SO IT WAS WRITTEN, SO IT SHALL BE...." ]::
::[DM Shout : And the ground shakes and then - ]::
::[DM Shout : It rises. ]::
::[DM Shout : The bones... shift... and rise... and Etorix-Once-More stands proud and tall. ]::
::[DM Shout : It gazes over the crowd.....and utters a shrieking, piercing ROAR..... ]::
::[DM Shout : It tenses, as if to leap.... ]::
::[DM Shout : And suddenly utters a terrible word: "VENGEANCE" ]::
::[DM Shout : It flaps its bony wings, and with shrieking shadows.... ]::
::[DM Shout : It rises, and collapses the roof of the chamber! ]::
::[DM Shout : The gathered flee for the side, dodging falling rocks, and - ]::
::[DM Shout : Adventurers climb out of the rubble.... ]::
::[DM Shout : As the huge skeletal-dragon flaps off.... ]::
:[DM Shout : The caves tremble as something enormous and terrible approaches Dunwarren. Something that had uttered one word. ]::
[DM Shout : The klaxon blares as Spellguard Animatrons rumble out of caves and head for the gates. ]::
:[DM Shout : The collosal figure of bone approaches the Barbican.... ]::
:[DM Shout : It stands, silent, gazing... almost as if it is remembering ]::
:[DM Shout : It flaps its wings... roars out a word.... ]::
:[DM Shout : "VENGEANCE" ]::
:[DM Shout : --The Watchers at the gates of the Barbicans stand beside hulking animatrons. Unlike their metal and golemic counterparts, however, many of the Watchers are seen quaking in their boots...--- ]::
:[DM Shout : Shadows emerge and attack.... ]::
:[DM Shout : It tears the animatrons apart. ]::
:[DM Shout : The huge titan of bone begins to rip and tear at the gates, the walls of the Barbican.... ]::
:[DM Shout : They collapse and turn to rubble. ]::
:[DM Shout : It heads for the stairs. ]::
:[DM Shout : It prowls through the In Between.... destroying the small animatrons hurled against it.... ]::
:[DM Shout : It begins to march towards Sanctuary. ]::
:[DM Shout : It continues its inexorable march.... ]::
:[DM Shout : A fresh group of ill-maintained animatrons approach it. ]::
:[DM Shout : The people of Sanctuary begin to scream with panic, running about everywhere.... ]::
:[DM Shout : As it approaches the inner gates into Sanctuary, a final line of defense prepares itself ]::
:[DM Shout : It approaches Sanctuary, and sets to dispatching another three animatrons.... ]::
:[DM Shout : Mere feet away from Sanctuary, but then - ]::
:[DM Shout : It turns... and heads deeper into the ruins? ]::
:[DM Shout : It flaps its wings, and heads a short distance deeper in the ruins ]::
:[DM Shout : Smashing through the rubble as it goes ]::
:[DM Shout : It slays a few very unfortunate bandits on its way ]::
:[DM Shout : It tears at ancient structures in a wrath.... ]::
:[DM Shout : Tearing at the rubble... searching? ]::
:[DM Shout : It flaps deeper ]::
:[DM Shout : Once more it sets to tearing at the rubble.... ]::
:[DM Shout : As Vlach, holding the statuette, speaks to the Dragon in quiet words.... ]::
:[DM Shout : It slashes forward with a huge claw, and knocks him flat. It grabs the stunned form of Vlach, roars once more, and flies off..... ]::
:[DM Shout : It circles once, twice, thrice.... the ruins of old Dunwarren... ]::
:[DM Shout : And then speeds away into the darkness. To where..... ]::
:[DM Shout : You do not know. ]::
:[DM Shout : Exhausted and in a state of shock, the adventurers head back to Sanctuary - much deprived of its defences - yet Sanctuary still stands. ]::
Screenshots (http://imgur.com/a/VHzS8)
I've finished making loot for (hopefully) everyone I owe it to. Find me IG or on IRC to collect.