GM Ladile & the Pathfinder Society Present: The Night March of Kalkamedes (Table B) (Inactive)

Game Master Lady Ladile

A Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for levels 1–5.

A veteran Pathfinder exploring the Fenwall Mountains of Varisia has begun sleepwalking, traveling through the dead of night in the same direction each time. The following mornings, however, he awakens injured and lost in the wilderness, never reaching the mysterious destination that drew him from his bed in the night. Something is calling Kalkamedes, something powerful, but unless he can make it safely to the source of his somnambulism, that power will remain a mystery. It falls to a team of Pathfinders to escort the sleepwalker to his destination and uncover the true nature of the strange phenomenon overtaking Kalkamedes's dreams.
_______

Coming Soon to a Forum Near You!

A tall slender male elf enters the room, knocking the mud from his shoes and brushing of the dust and dirt only one who has traveled the open road would have. Although he wears the common items typical to a ranger he seems a little off.

After taking a seat and ordering a drink it further looks odd as he pulls a few books from his bag similar too that of the more arcane inclined individual.

In a summer sweat voice he says to the server "Thank you Miss; This shall quench my thirst." the young lady blushes as the devilishly charming elf smirks at her.

"Oh might you send word to Lady Ladile to let her know I have arrived?"

"Make that two of us."

A gray-skinned half-orc sits down at the table and orders something to drink. He scratches his crooked nose, and puts his coat next to him. He offers a handshake to the elf. "I think you are a part of my crew for this assignment. Kridash Magath, nice to meet you. Call me Ash."

He looks around the room checking out the talent, and stops with a quiet 'Hmph'. "Any idea what is this about?"

"Aha, Kridash my good man. Pleasure ta be making your acquaintance." the elf takes the half-orc's hand giving a good, surprisingly strong shake.
"Names Elias, Elias Nailo but my friends call me Winterhawk." quickly jotting a few notes in his journal he replies to the query "Haven't the foggiest. Was just given a letter telling me to meet here."

"Winterhawk?", the half-orc repeats. "Where did that come from?"

He scans the elf up and down, and takes a sip of his own mug. "You're not hiding wings back there, are you?"

He puts his mug back on the table. "Well, a nickname's a nickname. Did you meet anyone else of the crew yet?"

The door to the room opens and a short man walks in, his skin and hair colored a stony shades of brown mixed with black streaks that shines like polished onyx, clearly showing his oread heritage.

This will be a challenge...I have not been apart from Liora for long, yet duty calls...

He slowly turns to regard his new teammates before a smile of greeting shows on his face. "It is an honor to meet all of you. I am Jyrrar and one of the Pathfinders assigned to this mission" He gives an uncertain smile as he adds, "I know little of this mission but it is an escort mission?"

A burlish lout of a man saunters forth from the back of the room. He looks to be largely unconcerned with his outward appearance, as the remaining hair on his balding pate spreads outward in every direction. His ruddy, pockmarked face shows every line and wrinkle.

If the measure of a man's life and experience would be likened to a deck of cards, his face betrays him by fanning his entire hand of cards for everyone to see.

He is an old rusty blade, broken, melted to slag, and reforged to resemble a shade of his former self.

"Couldn't help but overhear you two; I'm the Crab, and I do believe I'm one such of who you're speaking of."

He brushes his hand off on the side of his trousers, then extends it to the two seated men. Glancing quickly at the elf, then admirably to the half-orc. "Gods, do they ever build you lot to fight. Silver piece says you're a stout mug full of s+#&ekickin', ain't ye?"

A smirk lets itself across his face, revealing a corn cob of yellowing teeth. "I'll get the next round while we wait for the others. What brings you two to the table?"

Kridash lifts his eyes from the bug as he hears other voices in the room. "Ah! Speak of the devil - these must be our people."

He stands up, extends his right hand a few more times, and sits down again. "I can't say I know. I was just told to come here and wait for instructions."

Looking at Corbett, he smirks, and lifts a mug. "Looks can be deceiving, old man. I suppose we're both proof of that?" He takes a sip. "When you bounce in inns, you need to look it. It deters more people from fights than a small fellow with a knife on his belt. But I like to think I can knock a man out if necessary."

He lifts his mug again - "Nice to meet you, folks."

Corbett lifts his mug and nods approvingly. "Aye, here's to any excuse to drink..."

He tips back his drink, then wipes some errant froth from his mustaches. "... may there always be one. S'pose there's nothing to do but wait for the rest, eh?"

As Jyrrar approaches, Corbett extends a hand in a friendly greeting, then answers his question. "Escorting some highborn fop? Now there's a job that pays well. Here's hoping."

before others arrived
looking to the half-orc "I did not choose the name. It was given to me by my companion. She named me the first time we met." taking a drink himself he almost blows ale through his nose. "Wings HA. no im not some Fey folk although my ancestors may have some connects really." looking to the door waiting for others to arrive "No I haven't yet met any of the others." as if on cue Jyrrar and Corbett made there entrances.

at the table
"Well met my fellow Pathfinders and thank you for the next round Mr. Crab. I am always willing to accept a free drink."

Wow, I totally missed all of this activity! :)

A small gnome enters the room munching on some kind of large sticky pastry with both hands. He makes it halfway across the room before he notices the small group of Pathfinders at the table, and he stops mid-bite in the middle of the room, looking rather surprised. Then an even smaller gnome eating a similar pastry to the first, also enters the room, jingling with every step as the pots, pans, and other gear attached to her massive backpack clatter together. She walks into the back of the first and lets out a surprised squeak.

The first gnome starts waving at everyone at the table and smiles. His clothes look a little too big for him, what with his brilliant blue cape dragging on the floor and the sleeves of his well polished shirt of silvery metal extending well beyond the hands. "Oh, oh, are you here for the mission?! I'm Kronas, Kronas Kronglic." He skips over to the table and extends a sticky hand for everyone to shake, "Pleased to meet you! I thought we were early, but we must be late... Oh no, did we miss the briefing? Are there going to be dragons? I hope there's going to be dragons! I'm a knight, you see, or at least I will be when I'm older, so-" The smaller gnome jingles up to the table and gives Kronas a friendly nudge, "Oh! Um, this is my little sister, Luna! I'm helping her train to be a Pathfinder when she gets older."

Luna waves and says, "Hi," in a cheerful but shy voice. Noticing a few funny looks at her backpack, she smiles proudly and says, "A good Pathfinder is a prepared Pathfinder... Well, that's what Kronas keeps telling me." She gives her brother a suspicious look, noting that he seems to be travelling rather light today.

Luna is a porter (a vanity from the Pathfinder Society Field Guide), she can carry up to 100 lbs of gear without slowing down. She will disappear whenever combat breaks out and conveniently pop up again out of combat whenever Kronas needs something (i.e. anything she is carrying will be unavailable during combat) :)

When Winterhawk speaks think South African accent.
"Aha! Well met Sir Kronas and Lady of the Moon." Winterhawk greets the newcomers. " You are most right Luna, A good Pathfinder Is a prepared Pathfinder. That is something Janira says as well." Winterhawk takes in a breathe and coughs "How, rude of me. Let me introduce myself, I am Elias Nailo, but call me Winterhawk. Thus is Ash, Jyrrar, and Corbett,call him "The Crab". Now, with you that makes five Pathfinders and a wonderful PT*. I think we are missing one other though I'm not sure when they might be coming. So tell me, do you have any good stories to tell?"

* PT = Pathfinder in Training

Luna giggles at being called 'Lady of the Moon,' and waves at everybody as the Kronglic siblings are introduced to the rest of the party.

With the introductions over, Kronas' nods enthusiastically and says, "Oh, I know loads of stories! Have you heard the one about the singing goblins of the mellow marshes? An evil witch had tricked a whole tribe of goblins into being their chief, and then she made them fearless by teaching them enchanted songs!" He then launches into one of his favourite stories, acting out all the scenes with unbridled enthusiasm. "...They pillaged and burnt all the local villages and nobody could stop them because they didn't run away like they used to..." And Luna even joins in when he starts singing the goblin songs,

"...♫ We will stab them 'til they die
Slice their spleen and poke their eye
Cut their toes and smash their face.
If they run then we'll give chase ♫..."

"...He was a knight, you see, and he wasn't afraid of anything either! So when he was surrounded by the singing goblins he just..." Kronas continues, borrowing a torch out of Luna's backpack so that he can swing it like a sword during the battle scenes, "...The witch was real mad at this point, and kept trying to curse the knight to turn him into a frog..." Near the end of the story, Luna starts nudging Winterhawk excitedly, and says, "Oh, oh, this is the best bit!"

Kronas starts to calm down a little, his forehead glistening with sweat from all the exertion as he reaches the story's conclusion, "...When all the goblins had ran away, and the witch was captured, she asked the knight why the curse didn't work. The knight just raised his visor and went-" At this point both Kronglics look at each other and then simultaneously make the loudest *RIBBITING* noises that they can as start laughing, "He was a grippli all along! Every time she tried to turn him into a frog, it just made him stronger!" He smiles and bows "The moral of the story is: know thy enemy."

In exchange for the story, the half-orc gives a hearthy chuckle. "I like it.", he nods in approval; smiling and showing a missing tooth or two. "Your own material?"

Kronas smiles at Ash and says, "It came from a big book of fables," he stretches his arms out as far as possible to illustrate just how big the book was, "and it's one of the best books in the world!" Luna nods her agreement, "Our mum owns a bookshop, so we know!" She says in a very matter of fact manner, before turning to Kronas with a big grin, "Oh, you should tell them the one about the Dancing Pirates of Shallow Lake..."

Jyrrar sits quietly as he contemplates the story told by the highly energetic gnomes and his sister. After a few moments he speaks up slowly, "An interesting tale Mister Kronas, and the moral is quite true. I would add also knowing yourself is as important, if not more so. The knight knew he was a frog so he could ignore the threat, and that goes for every one of us." He finished up with a low chuckle. "Please, another story. Every story you tell teaches me more of you."

looking gleeful with a smile as wide as his face Winterhawk slaps the table when the story ends. "That was quite the tale; I do hope you and your sister have more. I believe one can learn a great many things through the literary arts. I myself am writing a book of my travels, hoping one day to present it the great chroniclers of the Society." Winterhawk takes a large draft of his pint of ale. setting the glass down wiping the foam from his hairless lip he sits waiting in eager anticipation for more stories from his comrades.

The door to the establishment is pushed open, as a dark skinned Garundi woman in sturdy traveling clothes and a breastplate clomps through the door with a loud metallic ring as her armor clips the wooden door frame. She removes her hat, tucking it into her backpack before pushing her silver spectacles up the bridge of her nose with one finger and scanning the room. Her face lights up into a broad smile upon sighting the group gathered at the table.

"KRONAS! I didn't realize you were part of the group for this mission!" Katswiri approaches the table and raises a hand in greeting. "Hello everyone, it is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Katswiri. I am a seer, and a member of Kronas' confirmation class. I am looking forward to working with you all!"

Kronas beams at the others, so happy that they seemed to enjoy his story, but he can't decide if he should tell the one about the dancing pirates, or ask Winterhawk for a tale from his own book. Just before a decision is reached, he hears his name and whirls around in excitement, "KAT!" Kronas runs across the room and meets Katswiri halfway, wrapping himself around one of her legs and giving her a big hug, "It's soo good to see you again!" He says, making sure to look up so that Katswiri can see his lips move, and noticing her shiny new spectacles, says, "Oh, those look really neat!"

As soon as Katswiri introduces herself, Luna's eyes go wide in recognition and she jingles excitedly after her brother, attaching herself to Katswiri's other leg, "My brother told me all about you and his confirmation!" She also makes sure that the newest arrival can see her face while she talks, "He says that you're the smartest person he has ever met, and that you tell the best bedtime stories... Oh, oh, is it true that you have a whole book full of amazing paintings of strange lands, creatures, and exotic ruins?"

The summons was a strange one, even by Pathfinder Society standards. Letters for each of you, sent by Venture-Captain Sheila Heidmarch, the current head of the Pathfinder Lodge located in the Varisian city of Magnimar. The request within, so outlandish that for a moment you might think it some sort of joke - except you know, either from the grapevine or personal experience, that Venture-Captain Heidmarch is not one for jokes. As the group of you meet up and then make your travel preparations, you think back to the letter itself:

While the letter raised more questions than answers you have all banded together to answer the call and have made your way to the country of Varisia. As it turns out, the located marked on the enclosed map happens to be a small, rustic cabin located at the foot of the Fenwall Mountains. When you knock on the cabin door you are somehow surprised to see Sheila Heidmarch answer, even though her letters indicated that she would be meeting you here personally. Her eyes light up at the sight of the group.

"Ah, there you are! I'd hope that you would be able to make it here quickly; very good, very good," she says as she beckons everyone to step inside. "And it looks as if everyone was able to answer my summons I see - even better, for I suspect that it may take all of you to see this task through to the end."

As the Venture-Captain speaks, everyone can hear what sounds like grunting and the shaking of furniture coming from the room behind. Peering inside you can see a small bedchamber and within it, a man tied to a bed. He thrashes and pulls against the bonds restraining his arms and legs but to no avail. For a moment, you wonder why he remains oddly silent despite his predicament but then you suddenly realize that the man seems to be in some sort of trance or deep sleep.

Venture-Captain Sheila Heidmarch glances out a window as the last wisps of twilight fade over the Fenwall Mountains. Turning from the sight, she runs her hand along the rustic cabin’s wall and stands beside an occupied wooden bed before addressing you. "I know what you might be thinking, but I assure you that Zarta Dralneen has been nowhere on the premises," she remarks dryly. "This," the venture captain says, gesturing to the man thrashing around violently, straining against the bonds that lash him securely to the bed, "is our colleague, Kalkamedes. Every night for several weeks now, he has fallen into a deep slumber and tried to sleepwalk right out of his cottage. If not restrained, he marches straight north, eventually falling off a cliff or into a bog as if trying to get himself killed in an attempt to reach an unknown goal." As though he were expressing disagreement, the man tied to the bed suddenly begins pumping his limbs even harder, the violent spasms threatening to smash the bed into splinters.

"There are those who have recently criticized the Pathfinders for our indifference to the plight of our fellow field agents. It’s time to show that’s not true. I want you to help Kalkamedes, whether he wants it or not," Heidmarch continues. "Several of our best spellcasters have attempted an extensive list of magical cures, but whatever sleepwalking curse or effect he’s under tenaciously resists our efforts. All we can do is keep him safe." Heidmarch pats him with a degree of professional affection, and Kalkamedes rewards her by trying to swat her with his head. "Kalkamedes’s friends are at their wits’ end, so we are going to attempt the only thing that we have not tried: we’re going to let him go tonight. That’s where you come in. I want you to follow him and keep him safe and in one piece. Let him get to wherever his addled brain thinks he needs to go so badly. Maybe, just maybe, if he gets there, you can find a way to help him. Maybe you can determine who or what did this to him and find a way to undo it." Heidmarch pulls out a serrated knife. "Now before I cut him free, does anyone have any questions or last minute preparations?"

At the meetup

Katswiri laughs, and gives each of the gnomes attached to her legs a one armed hug before beginning to rummage around in her backpack. "Oh, the glasses really are! They're Spectacles of Lip Reading, and they have made it so much easier to see what people are saying. They make the words appear in my mind at a glance, without needing the intense concentration I normally require."

"It is nice to meet you Luna. Here, let me show you my journal." Katswiri pulls a leather bound book from her backpack, carefully sitting down on the floor and opening it to the middle to show the gnomes. The page shows a scene with Kronas, Katswiri and a number of other pathfinders camping under a starry sky, with the opposite page depicting a rough painting of a sleepy morning tavern scene. "The middle bit is all about our confirmation. The order isn't right, since I did some of the scenes from memory afterwards, but if Kronas has told you the story, I bet you'll recognize lots of these..."

-------------------------------------
At the cabin; caught me in the middle of writing the top part!

Katswiri approaches the door with the group, pondering the meaning of the letter and her knowledge of somnambulism as she does so. She breathes deeply in the cold mountain air, letting its slight sting stimulate her mind. As she hikes the last leg of the journey, she watches a flight of birds pass by overhead, reading the omens to provide guidance for this mysterious mission.

Taking a natural divination for a +10 competence check on a skill check in the next 24 hours.

After arriving at the cabin and hearing the explanation of their mission from Venture-Captain Sheila Heidmarch, Katswiri enters the building and walks over to Kalkamedes. She examines him closely from several angles before speaking. "Fascinating. This is not typical sleepwalking behavior. Frequently, the somnambulist is attempting to act out a dream, which can cause all sorts of behavior, but it rarely recurs so consistently, and with such direction. Does Kalkamedes remember anything when he wakes? You mentioned magical attempts to cure him. What has been tried, and has anyone cast Detect Thoughts while he is like this, to determine what he might be thinking during this process?"

Perception, Examining Kalkamedes: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

Looking at the man, Kridash seems concerned, but he turns the frown around. "Yes.", he snickers - "How many bedframes did this man destroy by now?"

Going by the picture, I'm assuming he's in his pyjamas. If not, ignore the second part of this post. ;)

Kronas takes in the scene with an abundance of curiosity, he bounces over to the other side of the bed and waves his hand in front of Kalkamedes' face just to make sure he really is sleeping, "He's like this every night? That must be soo tiring!" He frowns for a moment, deep in concentration, trying to come up with a question that hasn't already been asked, "Is there anything out there that we need to worry about while we're escorting him? Any large fluffy creatures that like to eat sleepy humans?"

After waving his hand a few more times, and dodging a few flailing limbs, Kronas is finally convinced that Kalkamedes is in fact sleeping. He then realises that the man is in his pyjamas and in no state for a long walk through the mountains, "Oh, oh, shouldn't we put some clothes on him first? Boots and a cloak at the very least. He'll get sore feet going out like this!" He says, pointing at the bare toes that occasionally poke out from the bed.

"Can't say I've encountered anything quite like this before..." Corbett scratches at his whiskered chin, then folds his arms in front of him. "I've seen drunkards stumble around alleys and wha'not, but nothing of a magical-type nature."

He looks around the house for spare garments, or travelling leathers, or at least an oilcloak. "Should we constrain him in some sort o' manner, given his predilection for headbuttin', and the like?" Not that tyin' his arms up'll help much if he wants to headbutt you... realizes Corbett immediately after.

Katswiri absentmindedly speaks as she holds up a hand, concentrating on casting Detect Magic on Kalkamedes. "I would suggest we at least tie a rope to him, to prevent him from wandering off. If we are attacked and forced to defend ourselves, we would not want him wandering off by himself, and a rope would allow us to potentially stop his fall if he stumbles into a river or off a cliff."

Are there any knowledge skills that might be used to try and identify what is happening to him?

"Oh, oh, I have rope, I have rope!" Luna says, raising her hand in the air and bouncing excitedly, "It's silk too, so it's nice and soft. You can use that if you want! Do you want it? It's right here..." She rummages through her pack and retrieves a tightly bound coil of silk rope, with a triumphant "See!" For a brief second, Luna considers passing the rope to Kronas, but then looks up at the slightly larger members of the group (as in everyone else) and says, "Maybe someone larger might want to hold onto the other end?"

"Yes please wait for just a moment. I need to call upon my companion." Winterhawk steps outside the little cabin takes a few moments to etch a strange glyph upon the ground very similar to circle one uses to summon beings from the outer planes but seemingly different. He places a hand on the activating rune and mutters a few words shifting from Elven to Sylvan and ending in Terran.

A flash of bright green light nearly blinding appears an just a quickly departs. The summoning circle is gone and in its place is nothing. Moments later a small rumble like that of an earthquake can be heard and the earth begins to gather up into a mound, growing larger and larger. The mound shutters and shakes each time a chuck of earth falls from it to be absorbed back into the ground.

Finally a minute or so later the form of a wolf appears although this is covered in shale, crystals and other elements of earth.

Winterhawk smiles and greets the creature "Ah-ha Fenrir old friend. How have you been? How did you travels through the outer planes go?"

A low growl comes from the Earthen wolf. Shaking its head and fur as if expelling water from its coat it walks up to Winterhawk speaking, surprisingly, in perfect Taldan "Well met Winterhawk. I am doing well. The hunt has gone well many Astral beings exist that present a challenge for me to track." The feminine voice finishing moving the lips of her snout and looks to the party "Greetings to all of you. I am Fenrir and the pleasure is mine to be traveling with comrades of Winterhawk here. Hopefully he has not embarrassed himself, or any of you for the matter yet."

You can Hear Winterhawk in the background balk at the mention of embarrassing himself.

"I concur with you Kronas. Some clothing to better protect his person would be most advantageous for him and ourselves." looking over the man in slumber. "Might I even add that we find out a little about this man first. Such as what importance does he have with the society? What is his profession or hobbies that we might make a connection with? Was he recently sent on a mission for the society and contracted some magical illness that causes this to happen?"

Detecting Magic as well. concentration on not only him but his dwelling as well.

Winterhawk. I will scout about the hut for a few minutes and see what I find. getting a positive response back Fenrir circles the hut gradually spiraling out sniffing at the ground and looking for any other things out of the ordinary.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22
Survival for tracking with Scent: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

Jyrrar watches the scene unfold before him with a stoic look upon his face, "A remarkable conundrum here. We should try to see if anyone else has observed this behavior before from other souls." He rubs the back of his head briefly, "This man must have certainly gathered some attention from those nearby."

As each of you offer up your own insights and questions, Venture-Captain Heidmarch gives the group an approving nod. "Excellent questions, as it is imperative to always try to learn as much as possible about a given task or mission before you begin." She first turns to address Katswiri. "Unfortunately, Kalkamedes has no memory of anything that transpires on these nightly jaunts once he awakens in the morning. Our mages and priests have examined him for magical auras but haven't been able to turn up anything, which is extremely puzzling since this is practically a textbook example of some sort of compulsion effect," Heidmarch admits. "But no enchantments have been detected, nor have any curses. He is also, thankfully, free of disease and has not been poisoned."

While Heidmarch speaks, Katswiri gives the bound man - who is indeed clad only in his pajamas - a rudimentary inspection. She can see that while there don't appear to be any signs of serious injury, there are numerous small scratches and faded bruises dotting his limbs and she suspects that these might be souvenirs from his previous nighttime excursions.

"As far as local hazards, well, all you need do is look out the window," Heidmarch continues, gesturing towards the window. "We sit at the base of the Fenwall Mountains, which are home to all manner of flora and fauna. I am by no means an expert but at the very least I'd say that there are likely to be large predators that call these lands home, such as bears or mountain lions. You will certainly want to be on your guard as you escort our poor sleepwalker on his way."

As you consider your charge and how to best proceed with your task, each of you turn your thoughts to Kalkamedes, the man. Winterhawk has a very valid point - what do you really know about Kalkamedes? Some of you realize that you might've actually heard of him before. Perhaps his personal life and his past might hold a clue as to his current predicament?
_______

@Katswiri - Feel free to make a Kn. Arcana check if you like!

Knowledge Local take 10: 10 + 6 = 16

If I can take 20 I would like too please

"A looking through a few of my journals and books here I recall that our friend sleeping in dream here is a veteran of the Society tough I believe he mainly does his field work here in Varisia. He is not quite beenm putt out to pasture yet and he still communicates with the higher ups. He does still command some respect with the local lodge for what he has done. pausing a moment "My readings don't quite retell what he has accomplished though. I may need to read a little more."

"I don't recall much about Kalkamedes, although the name seems familiar. Allow me to see what my vision can reveal." Katswiri's eyes glaze over, as information floods her mind. She nods along silently, watching something only she can see for almost half a minute before her eyes refocus. "Well now, that is interesting. Kalkamedes used to be a paladin early in his career, but left his order without explanation some time ago. He became interested in the lore of the ancient runelords, and relocated here to Varisia to further his studies. But the most interesting visions are of his broken sword, and the rumors that swirl around him that is actually a sentient blade."

Katswiri looks around the room for any sign of a broken sword. "Does anyone see such a weapon? Such devices often can compel their wielders, although I would have expected such compulsion magic to leave a trace."

Focused Trance: 1d6 ⇒ 6
Knowledge: Local, Focused Trance: 1d20 + 20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 20 + 8 = 30

Katswiri turns back to Kalkamedes, examining him closely. "Now, what could be wrong with you..." Her eyes glaze over for a moment this time, before snapping back into focus...

Focused Trance: 1d6 ⇒ 1
Knowledge: Arcana, Focused Trance: 1d20 + 9 + 20 ⇒ (7) + 9 + 20 = 36

Seeing various people in the room examine the sleepwalker, Kridash shrugs. He doesn't know anything about magic.

"Right. So we just follow this fellow, and figure out where he is wandering. Sounds simple enough. Just slap some torch on his head and hope he doesn't set something ablaze."

Corbett chuckles at Kridash’s comment, appreciating the tension-cutting nature of an errant joke or two. ”Right? I’m sure there’s a farm down the road, we could always borrow a cow’s bell, ring it ‘round his neck so as to not lose track of our man…”

Joking aside, Corbett begins to think of the difficulty in protecting the sleeping Kalkamedes if they were to encounter any unsavoury types along the path, or defending against the local fauna. ”The way he’s thrashing about, it’s going to be a time trying to keep him from hugging a cave bear or something foolish. Maybe we stake him to the ground if we come across something unsavoury?”

Winterhawk grasps the mans night cap mutters a few words and it begins to glow a bright white light.

Cast Light

"See no fire required." Winterhawk Chuckles.

Communing with Fenrir he projects his thoughts to her. "Did you find anything of note out there?"

Hearing the mental call of her bonded companion Fenrir replys back "Nothing yet but I will let you know."

Fenrir continues to circle the house sniffing the ground and air looking for any signs of foul play or dare she think malicious intent.

Jyrrar nods slowly as he processes all of the information provided concerning Kalkamedes. "Perhaps restraining him is the wrong tactic here. We should allow him to proceed under his compulsion. It should provide clues as to what is causing it."

"Oooh! A sentient sword?" Kronas eyes all the cupboards in the room, wondering where Kalkamedes might have put it if he still owns it, "I don't think we're talking about restraining him," he says to Jyrrar as he continues to eye the room suspisciously, "just tying a rope around his waist. That way if he falls off a cliff, he'll just dangle safely for us to pull him back up..." Reaching a decision about the sword, Kronas quickly checks under the bed, "Aha!"

The group discusses what they know about Kalkamedes, with Katswiri and Winterhawk in particular able to offer some interesting insights into the man's past and current activities. Armed with this information Katswiri turns her attention back to the bound man and attempts to use her mind's eye to divine just what plagues the poor sleepwalker.

Meanwhile, Kronas eagerly glances around the small cabin, delighted at the idea of there being a sentient blade hidden somewhere on the premises. Sadly, a quick look under the bed reveals only a few stray dust bunnies. But there is a small wardrobe nearby as well as an end table, not to mention the small kitchen/dining/living area that you had to pass through to reach Kalkamedes' bedchamber.

From the outside, Fenrir carefully scouts and sniffs around the perimeter of the cabin and even ventures a very short distance to the north - mindful not to overextend the link that binds him to Winterhawk. He can easily find several sets of intermingled tracks that lead from the cabin and disappear off into the treeline further north; some are as recent as to have been made within the last few days while others are almost certainly weeks old. All of the prints belong to the same person and he reasons that they likely belong to Kalkamedes himself. Other than the tracks, Fenrir doesn't note any other tracks or anything suspicious in the area.
_______

@Winterhawk - Alas, while you may Take 10 on a Knowledge check (outside of combat, anyway) Taking 20 isn't allowed.

@ GM Ladile - an Elf can wish ;)

Following the lead of Kronas Winterhawk looks about in side the cabin assisting the excited gnome in his search. Using his Arcane talents to search for anything magical amongst the sleeping mans affects.

Perception aid: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14

"Neat trick. See? This will be child's play!", Kridash exclaims once Kalkamedes' head starts to shine like a torch.

"Well, hm. This behavior really does point towards some type of compulsion, but Venture Captain Heidmarch is right; there doesn't seem to be any direct magical influence. Whatever is going on, be it a connection with his weapon or outside force, its buried deep in his subconscious. We're going to have to let him walk, and see where this leads us." Katswiri eyes the various members of the party before looking back to Luna. "Let's get that rope attached to him for safety. Ash, Jyrrar, Corbett, would one of you hold on to the other end when we let him go?" Katswiri will gesture, touching the rim of her hat to cause it to begin glowing with magical light as well.

"I mean I can, but my hands are not as strong as you'd expect with my more savage brothers and sisters.", he shrugs. "I can tie it around my waist, if it's really needed."

"I will hold onto the rope Miss Katswiri. As my race is naturally slow-footed (Aka 20' move), it will be easier to slow his progress and allow for more time to prepare for whatever we encounter." Jyrrar answers.

Kronas stands up again, a little disappointed that the sword wasn't under the bed, "Do you think Kalkamedes will mind if we rummage about a bit?" He asks Venture-Captain Heidmarch before he starts excitedly scurrying around the house with Winterhawk. He seems to be enjoying himself, acting as if he's playing some kind of game of hide and seek with the sword, and before opening every door or draw, he says, "Aaaare you innnn HERE!".

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9 ouch!

Luna, who has been staring at Katswiri in amazement for the last few minutes, shakes her head clear and says, "Woah! You are the smartest person ever..." Suddenly remembering the rope in her hand, she walks up to Ash and Jyrrar and frowns, looking at each one in turn and trying to decide who should have it, "You look heavier, so you should have the rope!" She says, offering the silk rope to Jyrrar, "Should I tie it around your waist? I'm real good at knots!"