DM Zyren's Heart of Runes
Game Master Zyrenity

R4
HP 37/62
Harry keeps the fight moving...

Attack 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 7 + 1 = 28
Damage 1d8 + 5 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 5 + 4 + 1 = 17

Acrobatics 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 7 + 1 = 13 v CMD

Crit?
Attack 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 7 + 1 = 17
Damage 1d8 + 5 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 5 + 4 + 1 = 17

Harry's muscles bulge as he tightens the grip on his sword - he dives below Boris' defence and brings the sword up, cutting through skin, muscles and sinews - there is a guttural howl and lots of shocked faces on the ranks: Harry has cleanly cut off his opponents forearm who falls to the ground, instantly unconscious.

Quickly medics run over to him and carry him out of the pit before all the sand has turned crimson.
Even the moderator is quiet for some moments, but then his voice returns

The Dragon has snapped! The bear was no worthy foe!

The people applaud and you can clearly see the now woken bloodlust in many eyes.

DOH! had the PFSRD open so I could check the crit mod on the scimmy and its only 1d6 damage! So do you want me to roll all my damage dice again? That said, my rolls are so poor that I'd end up better off on average if I did!

Well, we just assume that this is the special longsword-scimitar variant :)

"There are no further contests, I have won the battle and now claim my prize. We are done here" Harry proclaims, very matter of fact.

The Dragon has just come to thunder at the forest's edge? What a pity, but I can see why he did that - the dryad knows now that the plains aren't safe, so it's better to stay in her beloved realm of emerald!

The crowd goes on applauding and coins of gold and platinum are thrown down to you.

All in all 217 gp

"I didn't come for a shower of gold, I came for the Grove, but there stands a matter of principle... your man did not fight with honour, he fought with quality weapons and aided by magic. I thusly demand either you send him back that I may behead your champion for his act of cowardice, or that I be given my just due and entry to the Dryad grove. The Code demands that I demand satisfaction" Harry ignores the money, as though he can't see it.

"What's it to be?" Harry demands.

A pause ensues and you can clearly imagine how your speech is debated behind the scenes, then after painful two minutes of anticipation and waiting, the moderator speaks again

The dryad has heard your words and even though they're lacking the right tone, the mistress of the forest welcomes you and bids you to enter her grove.

The portal through which Boris had entered now opens up again.

Harry pockets the coin, a Rogue at heart after all (Harry is as Harry does) then passes through the portal...

The moment of triumph passed, the stony and unglamarous reality of another preparation room, just like the one in which you chose your weapons, welcomes you. Here the bull-headed servant is waiting again. He nods approvingly

Boris hasn't been beaten in quite a while and never before so thoroughly...I don't think he will return to this place. The mistress is awaiting you, but there is another woman who has asked for your services...

"I came to claim the mistress, do not throw me a silver to distract me from a gold" Harry snipes dismissively. "Amuse me though, who is this distraction?"

Ok so is the Assistant the Mistress, or is the MAYOR the mistress and the assistant the distraction? Better check!

The bull cocks his head slightly, the mistress is the Dryad, she owns this place, has been here for eternities, an elven maid as old as this city some people say...the other one is a guest, she comes her often and I think she is a person of power, at least she is used to commanding people. after a short pause he adds I wouldn't hesitate, the mistress has only chosen a fighter once or twice during the last ten years...

"Then I will meet this Mistress without delay, and it will be a century before she's again ready to meet another fighter"

Harry is as Harry does, and the Mistress sounds like the greater conquest.

Harry heads onwards to victory!

Btw, Xanesha takes notes :)

The bull nods, he had expected this answer. He leads you out of the preparation room, past a waiting woman - you recognize Media at once. As you walk past, her gaze under her mask becomes ice...

Harry pauses momentarily in his stride; "This was your choice, not mine" he then resumes walking.

Xanesha o,O

You follow the broad shoulders of the bull, not looking back. He leads you to the central stairs of the building and then to the second floor wich only consisted of the stairwell and one single door.

Behind is the grove...the place where every man in Magnimar wants to be, where all wishes come true and mortals come as close to heaven as possible.

He sounds proud, but there is also a longing in his voice and you think he has never entred this room.

Harry looks left and right to ensure no one is looking "Give me your mask" Harry takes his off and pushes it towards the Bull. "So long as the Dragon mates with the Dryad then my legend will live large, and thats all I care about, Heavy Harry layer of the finest women, but if we swap spots I get to have my cake and eat it too. Anyone ever asks then it was Harry Handsome went in there and smashed her like a galleon in a high sea, I have another wench to attend"

GENIUS!

Bit worried about Xanesha being in the crowd now too, learning how Harry operates!

Ooops, dont suppose Media could = Xanesha?

Awww, you're such a fake!

The man is perplex - he swaps masks and grabs your forearm

Thank you, brother!

he looks like he is standing five inches taller now and you don't worry that he will do a good and believable job as he goes through the door.

Harry has a moment of remorse, as much as he has tried to be both he now knows deep inside the final threshold has been crossed, Harry the man and Harry the legend - no longer the same thing. The Legend has now outgrown its parent. "Bah" he spits, then goes back for Media.

"Now it's my choice" he speaks from behind the Bull mask.

Disguised as the bull-headed servant you are free to move wherever you want. You meet Media in a large parlour where several masked persons, both male and female, stand together and discuss the city's politics.

Two female servants, wearing only very extravagant lingerie, serve drinks here - one of them smiles as you enter and winks at you.

"Well, I understand that this is a site of monumental importance for our city, but, it's just too dangerous to enter - you are only teachers, I assume?" he furrows his brows and looks at your rapier.

"Indeed I am teaching these young students a great many things, but clearly only a fool would enter such a place without taking some precaution, my good sir. What kind of teacher would I be if I didn't show any street smarts? I assure you, we are only there to look and behold the wonder of ancient history, but clearly, should we encounter something unwelcome, we will not be completely at their mercy. You need not worry about our safety or of the safety of this ancient wonder."

Harry walks through to Media, "I came here for you, I jumped through your hoops, now...why did you bring me here?" his voice unmistakeable.

The man begins to sweat - this might be one of the hardest decisions of his lifetime as a soldier.

Mhm...ok, you may enter, but two guards will accompany you and you may not go farther than the prohibited gate...uh nevermind, the portal is sealed anyway.

You and you there! he points at two guards Guide these two ladies and their pupils inside.

The soldiers look more than a little surprised, but do not dare to question the sergeant's order.

Media turns to you and she does not understand

Huh? Should I know you?

Your voice must be sounding muffled under the large mask, you think.

Harry pulls her to the side and lifts the mask enough to show her his face, that broad and charming Harry smile beaming out from below. "Should we get out of here?"

Wha...you?

She clasps her hand around your forearm and pulls you into a darker alcove of the parlour

I thought you were going up to meet the Dryad?

hope and a even a bit of confidence have returned to her voice now.

"Mhm...ok, you may enter, but two guards will accompany you and you may not go farther than the prohibited gate...uh nevermind, the portal is sealed anyway.

You and you there! he points at two guards Guide these two ladies and their pupils inside."

"You are most kind, Sergeant." Celestra says with a sweet smile on her face."We would be delighted to have an escort!"

Turning to Tino and the others, she adds, "Now class, make sure you listen to these gentlemen and follow their every instruction. Remember we are guests in this marvelous place, and we want to respect the trust they have given us."

Celestra prepares to lead the others onward into the Irespan.

"The Dragon just went up to the Dryad for a night of unbridled passion, and everyone knows Harry Handsome is the Dragon...so yes, yes I did" Harry just lets that sink in "So now what? Why am I here? You just wanted to see me kill a man in the heat of battle or was this going somewhere?" there's a slight grumble of impatience in his voice.

The sergeant takes a last deep breath and signals his men to lead you inward. The guards again hesitate for a moment but then they slowly move ahaed through the dark portal inside the millenia-old structure.

Behind the portal you wander through a narrow corridor, surely once some kind of side entrance for the lesser races of workers and slaves. But soon you find yourself in a dome of gigantic proportions. The hall is empty but you can clearly imagine how once giants have had their meals and meetings here. Orbs of light float around here and you wonder what kind of magic this is, as a sophisticated voice suddenly interrupts your thinking

Visitors?

an old man, most probably a bookworm, emerges from the shadows of the vast hall and nods to the guards. He wears a pair of high quality glasses, has a notebook in his right hand and a mep in his left.

--------------

Media understands at once and smiles

Harry, it's surprising HOW quick your wits are. And no, I didn't want to see you kill someone - actually I wanted to hear some verse of you - remember, when you entered this establishment, you were allowed to choose how you wanted to impress the dryad...but anyway, your fight surely left an impression. she then pulls a a key out of her gown for one of the private rooms on the first floor - miraculously it falls to the ground Oh, I think I lost something... she says playfully.

"I didn't think they looked like the type that were running a poetry competition, and if they were I'd hard;ly reckon they'd have liked my collection of dirty Riddleport rhymes like "There was a young harlot from Galt..." very much, so a bit of blood it was going to be Miss Media." Harry collects the key. "Better get off and return this to its owner..." He looks for a number and then heads in the direction of the private rooms.

Media giggles - a think you would have hardly expected from her - and follows you up to the room...the place where the Harry-magic happens *_*!

Harry smiles to himself, although his earlier revelation stings a little, he just immerses himself in the now. The legend of the Dragon just grew a notch, and that's all that really matters.

If Media = Xanesha, Harry is gonna be mad

It's Harry's lucky day, she hasn't got a reptile tail or wisdom-stealing claws - everything's fine :)

Let's see what our other cave-explorers - HAH - do!

Aw and here Harry was hoping for some tight squeezing corridors to explore.

"Visitors?"

"Well met, my good sir. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Celestra Zomesco and this is my assistant Ailetha. And these . . ." She says with a wonderful sweep of her hands, " . . . are my most wonderful students! Who do we have the pleasure of addressing? We are here to learn and investigate as much as we can about this old ancient structure. Is there anything you can tell us about its history and significance?"

Diplomacy 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (6) + 13 = 19

Aha, aha! What an unusual choice for a field trip! Let me introduce myself: I'm professor Bluebelly, head of the archeological institute of Magnimar. We're doing research here since more than two centuries, but never had we the pleasure to welcome so interesting guests.

he signals the guards to leave, they hesitate a moment, but then they nod and return to their posts in front of the Irespan entrance.

Now, do you have any questions I could help you with?

"Aha, aha! What an unusual choice for a field trip! Let me introduce myself: I'm professor Bluebelly, head of the archeological institute of Magnimar. We're doing research here since more than two centuries, but never had we the pleasure to welcome so interesting guests."

Celestra blushes slightly at such a warm welcome. "Well, thank you my dear professor! I am delighted that we have this opportunity to speak with you and learn of what you are doing here! Let me start by saying that I am so pleased with you and the work of the Archeological Institute of Magnimar. I truly thank you for all that you are doing here in the name of history! The generations to come are entirely in your debt!"

"Now, do you have any questions I could help you with?"

Knowledge, History 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19

"I understand that this colossal landmark predates modern civilization by thousands of years or more. I also understand that the Irespan is an ancient Thassilonian ruin, but what I have always failed to understand is for what purpose it was built. Did the ancient people create this magnificent landmark to impress, or perhaps intimidate their rivaling neighbors, or does it have some greater purpose? Do you think that it has a deep and ancient magical power behind it?"

Harry being ever the gentleman will make sure his sails disappear over the horizon in short order once he has finished 'enhancing the legend'. Straight back to the remainder of the party

Low wisdom comes shining through.

Actually we have recently been studying the Runewells of the Runelords of Thassilon. There wouldn't by any chance be any here, especially any that might have recently come active again after several millennia of dormancy?

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (19) + 13 = 32

So Harry meets up with Karlan, Kessan and Perdition (are we already at the looking for replacements step?).

---------

The professor had just begun to answer something to Celestra as he is more than a little surprised by Ailetha's knowledge about ancient Thassilon.

Oh, are you a hobby-researcher? Or even a fellow colleague? Let me answer your friend's questions first - umm, ah yes, the function of the Irespan. Let me quote from my juust recently published book: The Irespan...ahem: Nearly ten thousand years before the founding of Magnimar, the Irespan served as the main travel route through the mountainous realm of Bakrakhan. In fact, the Irespan used to stretch as far as Xin-Bakrakhan, the strange monument now known as Hollow Mountain. When Earthfall, the cataclysm that heralded the end of the Thassilonian empire struck, most of the Irespan collapsed. Now all that remains are the end of the Irespan in Magnimar and a few crumbling stretches that speckle the entrance to the Varisian Gulf.

You will now surely ask what is Hollow Mountain and again, let me quote myself, this from an older volume: The Remains of Thassilon:

Hollow Mountain is among the highest peaks of Rivenrake Island in the Varisian Gulf. It boasts one of the most intriguing Thassilonian ruins in Varisia. Near the summit of the mountain, an enormous carving of a woman's face looks sternly towards the south, half of her visage rent away by an ancient apocalypse. Exposed underneath, the onlooker can see that countless corridors and rooms must honeycomb the entire mountain.
At its foot, lie the aged ruins of what some scholars believe to be the city of Xin-Bakrakhan, the Thassilonian City of Wrath, and once the capitol of the domain of Bakrakhan. These ruins are said to be one of the few remnants of this mountainous realm which disappeared into the Varisian Gulf following the destruction of the empire in -5293 AR. The split face near the summit is conjectured to be that of Runelord Alaznist herself.

And now to your question: We can't say for sure. we haven't entered anything below this level...ever.

Yeah Harry meets up. Frankly I'm wondering about whether its REALLY worth worrying about replacements, as we have a good core and all we do is end up slowing down a lot when we rep in. I say we roll with what we have, seems tight enough to me.

"And now to your question: We can't say for sure. we haven't entered anything below this level...ever."

"What?!!" Celestra replies incredulously. "Why ever not? You've had centuries to investigate and research. Why would you not take advantage of such and amazing landmark?"

Karlan felt stiff. Never mind the general complaints and body aches that his all too often tortured and battered form makes. He felt stiff. He pondered briefly if this was what it felt like to be a lobster or turtle or that giant hermit crab they encountered a month or two ago. He honestly never cared for heavy armor and cared even less for the way it restricted his movement and made him feel like some mechanical construct as he clanked down the street. He knew he didnt have to go about it like this of course. He was pretty confident enough to go walking the streets without it so it was an exercise in growing accustomed to walking and feeling like a lobster.

Granted this meant better protection, less injury, and overall less time and resources spent trying to keep him in one piece. Still he felt that this might be a bad idea.

The other questionable decision swung at his hip. A heavy blade with a curved edge that was good for slashing and chopping softer targets. He already knew he was going to catch crap. Loads of it. For discarding what was essentially a symbol of his order and goddess. He admitted to himself that there was a certainly feeling of blasphemy on his part though there was no thunder from the heavens or archon messengers giving him tidings of woe for selling a simple magical longsword. So if his god felt no need to comment he felt no need to care too much.

Still he knew he would catch crap. The walk might have been a good thing. It would tire him out make him too exhausted to care about Otherwise he might have very rapidly become a fallen paladin after about the fifth tasteless jkoe.

had this post last night and never hit the post button.

You have never entered below? Ever? So you are telling me that there could be Runelord servants, possibly even the legendary Rune giants living down there? And, you do not know whether someone might have restarted the legendary Runewells?

To answer your question, yes, I am a bit of a history buff. So, you say that Magnimar was in the realm of Alaznist, the Runelord of Wrath. However, you must also know that two other realms bordered on this site. Those of Karzoug, Runelord of Greed, and that of Sorshen, the Runelord of Lust.

Well, I am sure that you have heard that some adventurers recently uncovered Thassolan ruins in Sandpoint and in fact found an operating Runewell. Well, here is something that I want you to think about for a moment. How were these Runewells powered? And what type of people have been the target of a recent murder campaign here in Magnimar?

Love it when they disappear out of nowhere. I dunno we have a decent core but I would very much like another full caster other thanj our cleric to cover bases we don't have yet. We're starting into the levels where they're more useful than not.

I agree. Our muscle up front is pretty good, but a Wizard/Witch/Sorcerer would be nice for buffs, or damage on low SR monsters. I have decent spells, but as a bard am pretty limited.

Next level we will have a sweet frontline, Karlan plate tanking. Harry will go Cav again and Thumper will get a major boost out of it (Boon companion feat) - so its our support areas we need to think of. I don't mean to be a cranky about it, but I'd prefer a poster who posts frequently - theres nothing worse than a poster who takes a key role and then posts like a slow friday.

Next level we will have a sweet frontline, Karlan plate tanking. Harry will go Cav again and Thumper will get a major boost out of it (Boon companion feat) - so its our support areas we need to think of. I don't mean to be a cranky about it, but I'd prefer a poster who posts frequently - theres nothing worse than a poster who takes a key role and then posts like a slow friday.

Agreed 100%. There is nothing worse than waiting 1, 2, 3 days for someone to post their attack actions or response to a question.

That means we check the campfire people first, eh?

Professor Bluebelly scratches his forehead, your outburst of surprise seems to have embarassed him a bit

Well, let me show you something. he whistles through his fingers and one of the illuminating orbs swoops down to hover next to him

Pretty handy these things, eh boys? he comments and moves to the far wall. Here he commands the orb to hover up and an impressive relief is revealed. It shows the cross section of the Irespan in a stylised way.

On the second level, strange creatures, reminding you of flying scorpions seem to dwell in gigantic halls. They have about the size of a banana on the relief.

Hey, what are the tiny dots underneath them? About the size of a sand grain? Tino asks while squinting his eyes.

The professor chuckles and explains with a broad grin

Humans...those are humans...or at least human-sized humanoids then he turns to Celestra and Ailetha again I guess you know now? We sent one expedition and nearly lost the whole city as a flood of monsters emerged from the lower halls.

But back to your more academic questions: A runewell is powered by the souls of sacrificed victims. The stronger the mortal sin is in their souls, the more useful they are for feeding the well. I guess your less than subtle question should indicate that you are the mentioned adventurers? I was already a bit worried that we had heavily armed teachers here in Magnimar...and you discovered a runewell? And you hint at the fact that the series of murder was strongly related to greedy people? All in all you want to tell me that Karzoug is on the rise again? he seems as sceptical as one can be.

Give me one moment.

I cast Message and point at Professor Bluebelly and Celestra:

So that our discussion does not cause rumors from these wee small folk. We can whisper and they should not be able to hear us if we don't want them too.

Whisper: I was not there, but I believe my companion was. My understanding was that some type of quasit priestess was found with an operating Runewell beneath Sandpoint, which as you know is also on the border between Bakrakhan and Shalast. We recently met with a Lamia Matriarch who openly advertised her worship of Karzoug. We were unable to defeat her due being on top of [forgot the building's name] in the rain, but would expect her to return. She had been the one hiring murderer's to kill those she believed to be greedy.