"Could someone drrrrry me off with some fancy spell orrrrrr something, maybe warrrrrm me up a little?"
The burly warrior says as he's shivering.
”cawCAW!” Wren fires her wand petulantly at the retreating devilfish, still burning from the multiple lighting burns.
force damage
As it does her little good to complain alone, she flies into the sub for some healing...and so that others can hear her complain. She iterates how horrible that wish was and how much her body is burnt.
wand CLW
wand CLW
wand CLW
wand CLW
wand CLW
When that is done and she's done chittering angrily she will exit the sub and return to her work.
Tagging along inside the sub until it reaches depth, she will cast Prying Eyes, using the eyes to look and pry into the Tern Rocks and report back what they see.
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Wren, being the angry, vengeful, weird-bird-lady that she is fires off a final 'screw you' magic missile which slams into the devilfish. That kills it mid-jet and it spirals off into the lake.
You all pile into the incredibly cramped submersible and get ready to continue descending. As you do, Wren creates a group of tiny little orb-things, and sends them speeding off into the darkness. Whiel this happens, the submersible finally 'thunks' on the bottom. Wren's goggles allow her to see that 100' away is the entrance to the Tern Rocks.
After a little bit, the eyes return. Wren takes a good 20 minutes to gather up the information.
- The entrance appears to be through a wall of force, which prevents the inside of the tern rocks from flooding. The eyes manage to just push through the wall of force to enter.
- There are six skum sentries hanging around outside of the entrance, but they don't appear observant and noticed nothing
1: The inside appears very "skum"-like with intricate carvings, moss, and fishy things
2: Beyond an entrance cave are several sub-cave. Skum are milling about and horrifyingly, the tops of their heads have been removed, leaving engorged, exposed brains throbbing in the air. They noticed notihng.
3: The tunnel then bends southwards to an intersection. To the east, is a large cavern with a very large brain-like fungus with large tendrils in the centre. Weird webs block several chambers to the south. Within these chambers are strange flying insectoids with bulbous, fungus-like heads. They are milling about, meditating, or communicating. The brain-fungus noticed the eye and was VERY interested.
4: A cavern strewn with rotten carcasses contains a horrific creature with a head that is entirely jaws. Wren finds it difficult to look at and moves on quickly. The weird thing roared and stomped for the eye before it took off.
5: Southwards appears to be a shrine with a few skum hanging around in it. They noticed nothing.
6: There is a chamber full of jars that look like they have brains in it.
7: A huge grotto filled with strange lichens and fungi has a weird metal device surrounded by piled corpses with their heads cut open and brains removed. Two of the flying things and a wrinkled man-like figure with too many fingers hang near the device.
8: East from there, several of the creatures are experimenting on a man strapped to the table. Wren immediately recognizes the man on the table from the visions the party gained from Auren Vrood. This man is the Dark Rider you've pursued for so far. They noticed nothing.
9: A second sealock appears to be in the east, although the eyes do not enter there. Perhaps an additional entrance to the rocks.
Wren fills everyone in on all this...and much more, adding her commentary on the decor and choices she might have made about coral colors instead of the ‘gaudy ugly motif they have chosen’. In addition, she will opine about the various skum, inventing scenarios for some of them and gossiping furiously about the rest. She even manages to henpeck the various fishes swimming outside the sub, so great is her ire at her burning.
”Well, and that’s that.”
Arval quickly swims over to the forcefield and tries to poke his hand through before heading through with his whole body.
Wren follows after delaying a few moments for Arval to swim closer, using her swimming speed to make up the time so that Wren arrives after Arval.
"Yes, dearies, this is what we should do. Yes, I was right about this," Wren chirps inaudibly underwater.
All enchanted up, you all head out of the submersible, finally landing on the bottom of Lake Encarthan. Immediately, it becomes apparent that this is a bad place to be as the water pressure gives you the distinct sensation of having your head try to squeeze out your eyeballs. Kawrock turns himself into a dolphin to resist the worst of the water pressure.
You slowly plod through the water, struggling as it feels like your insides are being pushed out your nose like a giant tube of toothpaste which absolutely exists in this game world probably. As you stalk through the water, you attract the attention of the skum guardians on the outside of the tern rocks, and the fight is on!
Wren
Arval
Karock
---
Skum
---
Lena
Whiskeyjack
Eldon
Round 1
Swimming happily in her happy helm, Wren raises her wand at the furthest skum. She sends missiles its way.
”cawCAW!”
force damage
HP: 55/55
AC: 17 (3 dex, 4 mage armor)
Arcane Bond: 0/1 used
Open spell slots:
Left Hand: none
Right Hand:
Sage Advice: (0/9 used)
:
Arval double moves towards the guards and pulls out his sword.
Arval slow-motion walks at the base of a gigantic lake, which is pretty weird once he thinks about it. Wren blasts the furthest skum with a magic missile, getting great use out of her new wand. It keeps skumming on though.
The skum all turn, burbling angrily as they spot you and they start swimming rapidly through the water in your direction! They all charge right up to the party, and Arval easily blocks the one attack that gets in.
Wren
Arval
Karock
---
Skum
Skum
Skum
Skum
Skum
Skum (-21)
---
Lena
Whiskeyjack
Eldon
Arval starts hacking away at the rightmost Skum.
Breathing heavily, Whiskeyjack swung his head from side to side. All this water, it was horrible. Despite the spell allowing him to breathe freely, he still couldn't get over the fact that water was entering his lungs. He remembered that time as a young dwarf where he'd fallen off the wagon - a literal wagon, he'd never quit drinking - into the Esk River. He went straight to the bottom, and he'd been too drunk to know where the surface was, much less start swimming for it. He remembered the heavy feeling of water in his lungs, and the sheer terror of the certain knowledge that he was going to die. Jesen hauled him free, and pumped his belly like a bellows to get the water out, and Whiskeyjack had coughed for what felt like hours, his chest and throat burning from the effort.
Eyes wild, he swung his hammer at the skum immediately in front of him, swinging with all his might.
Round 2
Wren raises her wand at the skum battling Kawrock.
”cawCAW!”
force damage
HP: 61/61
AC: 17 (3 dex, 4 mage armor)
Arcane Bond: 0/1 used
Open spell slots:
Left Hand: none
Right Hand: wan
Sage Advice: (0/9 used)
:
Eldon starts his usual babbling under water to inspire you to kill things in order to get him to stop. Whiskeyjack, Arval, and Kawrock all manage to score solid hits on their opponents, but these skum are clearly quite powerful.
A flurry of bites and stabs greet your own attacks - although Whiskeyjack and Arval avoid the worst of it, Kravel gets clawed. The remaining skum tries to circle around and get up close and personal with Wren.
Wren
Arval
Karock (-16)
---
Skum (-50) (intimidated)
Skum
Skum
Skum (-30) (intimidated)
Skum (-47)
Skum (-21)
---
Lena
Whiskeyjack
Eldon
Round 3
Wren raises her wand at the skum that is trying to flank her.
”cawCAW!”
force damage
HP: 61/61
AC: 17 (3 dex, 4 mage armor)
Arcane Bond: 0/1 used
Open spell slots:
Left Hand: none
Right Hand: wan
Sage Advice: (0/9 used)
:
Whiskeyjack stepped to the side, his armor weighing him down even more as he struggled to lift his shield to cover Kawrock and still get some strikes in with his hammer.
Wren shoots a guy and Whiskeyjack doesn't hit anyone.
Arval takes another swipe at his target, hacking away at its skin.
Arval manages to kill one of the skum and turns to wound the second one, whilst Eldon steps up to poke at one with his rapier. Lena quickly turns with Wren, and the dual magic missiles manage to blast away the Skum that was flanking the casters.
The skum continue attacking somewhat mindlessly, and most of their attacks miss, aside from a claw that manages to catch Kawrock.
Wren
Arval
Karock (-32)
---
Skum (-15)
Skum (-10) (intimidated)
Skum (-30) (intimidated)
Skum (-47)
---
Lena
Whiskeyjack
Eldon
Whiskeyjack continued his trademarked Whiskeyjack smack whack attack!
Round 4
Wren raises her wand at the skum that is fighting Kawrock.
”cawCAW!”
force damage
HP: 61/61
AC: 17 (3 dex, 4 mage armor)
Arcane Bond: 0/1 used
Open spell slots:
Left Hand: none
Right Hand: wan
Sage Advice: (0/9 used)
:
Arval keeps wailing away with his sword, stabbing and slashing at the skum
Whiskeyjack, predictably, isn't having a great time fighting underwater and can't get a hit in. Arval, Eldon, and Kawrock all land blows, and Wren manages to vanquish yet another Skum with her magic missile wand. The skum continue to attack mindlessly - acting more like automatons than the weird ancient creatures you fought beneath the manor.
Arval blocks a particularly strong blow, but Eldon manages to get stabbed for his efforts.
Wren
Arval
Karock (-32)
---
Skum (-28)
Skum (-10) (intimidated)
Skum (-43) (intimidated)
---
Lena
Whiskeyjack
Eldon (-16)
Whiskeyjack continued his trademarked Whiskeyjack smack whack attack!
Round 5
Wren raises her wand at the skum that is the more wounded of the two that Arval fights. She swims around to get a better look at things.
”cawCAW!”
force damage
HP: 61/61
AC: 17 (3 dex, 4 mage armor)
Arcane Bond: 0/1 used
Open spell slots:
Left Hand: none
Right Hand: wan
Sage Advice: (0/9 used)
:
Arval continues whacking wildly with his sword, catching it on rocks and seaweed.
==============================
==============================
The last skum sentry falls into the water, and the strange, horrific dungeon beckons menacingly. It's at this point that there's a disagreement in the party.
The core issue being of course - why are we chasing the Whispering Way? The death of Petros Lorrimor, the mutual friend that brought you all here together has long-since been avenged with the battle in Feldgrau. Since then, you've come to this horrible, weird little corner of Ustalav to do battle with elder forces. The young women used as brood mares, the Things From Beyond - they've all worn greatly on the psyche and patient of half of the party.
Whatever the Whispering Way is up to, it's not worth this. The argument is more sad than bitter, but it's clear that Arval, Eldon, and Kawrock are done with this adventure. Eldon's stories aren't as fun as they once were. Arval misses the farm. Kawrock hasn't seen another of his people in years.
You all rise morosely to the surface and with that half of your number depart to continue their own stories. The three of you remaining are committed. Whiskeyjack knows there is great evil and his God compels him to do what is right. Wren can't let a good mystery go, and besides that sausage effigy may be delicious. Lena's only life to return to is a nomad without her home - this is her family such as it is.
You make dock on the shore to say goodbye to your friends... and at this point you see three strangers, staked out as they discuss the Tern Rocks. Wren, you recognize one of them as your old friend Jameson Addercorp IV - or 'Adder'. You now remember sending him a message for some help. It looks like he's arrived and brought friends.
ELENA
Illmarsh is one of the stranger places to live in Golarion and notably one of the smellier ones, althoug you stopped noticing the stench after a little while. As well, the lives of the townsfolk have been completely turned upside-down. Until now, you've worked at the Walleyed Kraken, a local tavern, keeping a low profile and an eye on the town. A few things have become clear over time.
A tradition of 'fostering' newborn daughters to an unknown village just referred to as the Neighbors Down the Bay seems passingly strange to you. More appallingly, it's very clear that the local sect of Gozreh is highly heretical. Your suspicions were blown wide open when, after several strange disappearances in town, a group of adventurers showed up out of nowhere.
They massacred the local church, exposing them as a cult of Dagon, the demon lord of the seas. Worse yet, they uncovered the true identity of the Neighbors, a species of ancient fishmen called skum who propogate themselves with human women. The fostered children were raised for breeding.
The mayor came out to talk to the town about how things will change with the new horrors uncovered; it was clear he meant to seize the power the church once held. But then the mayor himself vanished and the adventurers were nowhere to be found after talking with a weird local inventor, Horace Croon. You knew Horace had been working on a submersible of some kind and had been obsessed with a rocky outcropping called the Tern Rocks. Perhaps they were going under the lake?
It was clear you had to make a move at this point - and while deciding what that was, two more strangers came into town.
BRONIN
The battle at Feldgrau drew your attention. Apparently the Whispering Way, the deranged necromantic cult you had been obsessed with rooting out had apparently taken residence in a ruined town, destroyed in a war between Barstoi and Ardeal. There, they were building a mighty skeletal army, and you knew that this was your time to finally confront them and one of their leaders - Auren Vrood.
However, you arrived late. A full week after some spectacular battle had occurred. The bodies of skeletons and other undead littered the battlefield and Vrood apparently destroyed. While investigating the area, you came upon a ghost inhabiting a burned-out inn and within it, the severed head of Auren Vrood. The ghost explained that a group of people had come there and battled Vrood, defeating him. But a dark rider had fled Feldgrau. He passed onto you the following visions:
The visions open with a furiously darting ink quill that dashes out of a stream of words reading, “My Master, I shall stay in Feldgrau and build an army of corpses for our risen lord...” The sentence fades, and after a brief flash, hands place the letter in an envelope and strike it with the Whispering Way's seal. Another flash comes and the scene changes. You see cultists scurrying around in the town square, exhuming bodies and raising an army
from the corpses of Feldgrau’s dead. After another flash, Vrood’s hands place three strange items into a chest—an iron-and-glass vial containing a swirling gray mist, a bloody heart inside a glass bottle, and a fragile skull composed of hundreds of bone fragments. Into a second chest he places a strange statuette of murky green stone depicting a grotesque, tentacled creature. Another flash. The chests are given to two riders in dark cloaks on pale
horses. “Ride to Thrushmoor,” you hear Vrood's voice speak. “Our agent will exchange the Effigy for the relic we need.” After a final flash, the visions fade.
Despite it being a week, no things live here, and you can easily see a horseman taking off, and a crew of six people in pursuit to the south. They're going to Thrushmoor, on the northern shore of Lake Encarthan. The journey is long and difficult, but eventually you make your way to the strange, puritanical town.
ADDER
The sending you receive from Wren starts you out of bed. You've been in Caliphas for the past week, recovering after your latest adventure and enjoying some proper rest and relaxation in the complicated, bizarre city. The crazy old bird lady never says anything in sentences she cannot say in paragraphs, but the short of it is that she is in a town called Illmarsh and they need help. Something about creepy fish men, things from beyond the material plane, and nasty necromancers. Illmarsh is a tiny little nowhere town in a particularly strange part of Ustalav at the northern tip of Avalon Bay, but it isn't too far from Calpihas. You take a boat to Vauntil and from there it's several days' ride towards the town of Thrushmoor, and finally Illmarsh, where you last heard from Wren.
MEETING BRONIN
You both meet in the town of Thrushmoor, and after a short conversation, it becomes clear that you're both going to Illmarsh for the same reason. The fact that Adder knows one of the adventurers Bronin is seeking helps a great deal, and Bronin can pass on his knowledge of the Whispering Way and the visions he was granted. You agree to travel together.
MEETING ELENA
Elena meets both Bronin and Adder at the Walleyed Kraken where your joint concerns are discussed and sorted through. Elena knows something has gone wrong in this town and she needs to find those adventurers and the missing mayor. Bronin is seeking the Whispering Way. Adder is simply looking for his friend Wren. With Elena's information you all realize that you need to get to the Tern Rocks, and find out what happened. The Tern Rocks are a ways out into the water, but there's a launching point old Horace Croon often used that Elena knows about - and so you head out there.
As you approach, you see four figures looking somewhat wistfully off into the distance. Besides them is a trawler with a massive brass submiserible on the deck.
The six of you all come face to face, with Wren and Adder immediately recognizing each other. The old inventor Horace Croon remains pottering on his anchored trawler.
A tall, heavily scarred half-orc steps towards the figures.
"Babu Wren, are you here? Are you safe?"
A heavy falchion is strapped to his back and a weighty sack sits at his hip opposite a silver dagger.
"I got your message, it make little sense to me though. What is happening here?"
He eyes the other three while thumping a fist on his battered breastplate.
"I am Adder, known to Babu Wren. Who are you?"
A young and handsome man with a stately jaw stands to the right of Adder. He has a tabbard on that shows a rearing horse over a split symbol of a Sun in the upper left and an old growth tree under the lower right.
This man appears to be roughly half Osirion with that sunbaked skin look and part Nirmathan. While he is certainly 100% human, his heritage- maybe it's a hint hidden in the cheekbones -suggests diluted elven blood.
No matter how the strange mixtures of heritage worked out, this man was in the right line when the god's were handing out good looks. He opens his mouth and a smooth beritone voice just compliments his first impression. He oozes charisma.
May great Honors and Long Lives be in the future for you all. I am Lord Bronin Dohari and I have tracked your great actions all the way from Feldgarou to Thrushmoor to Illmarsh. Your reputations and actions speak volumes and I humbly ask to be a part of...whether it only be as a footnote... in the EPIC you are living out. What you do will certainly be composed within Galorian's history books.
then formally asking permission to join them in a rather unusual slang.
May I find shade and rest with your group?
He says with his head slightly bowed.
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She offers Arval a warm hug of goodbye.
Of Kawrock, she will miss some. He was a good example of the birdmen from the other side of the world she is sure, but his inability to properly preen what could be very nice feathers and properly appreciate Wren as the queen hen in the coop was irksome. Birds have a hierarchy of which Wren surely was on top.
She also offers Kawrock a long hug...from which she secretly takes a handful of feathers from Kawrock's back. Such things are handy.
He offers a handshake to Eldon, figuring that would be best. She has begrudging respect for the halfling and all that he had said he accomplished (which was quite a lot as it turns out). She felt that she had learnt from him (as he had said she did) and she feels he had learnt from her (which is always assumes of her little chickadees).
It is a sorrowful parting.
* * *
Outside of her feather 'armor', she has a few pouches, and a spell component pouch at her waist. Wren is of elven origin, however, does not spend much time around the elves any longer. She has brown hair and green eyes and stands no more than 5' 6" and has medium build.
She is more likely than not carrying with her a magic wand, shaped like a raptor's outstretched talon. You might also notice a singular iron ring on her left hand, decorated with feathers.
* * *
"Babu Wren, are you here? Are you safe? I got your message, it make little sense to me though. What is happening here?"
Wren smiles her awful old and wizened yellow-toothed smile, the wrinkles on her face bunching up. She is even less attractive when she smiles. I knew he'd come. Probably smitten with me already.
"Well, it's been quite interesting since the Professor passed away. Let me explain...Professor died...blahblahblah...haunting of Harrowstone, possibly of sexual nature...blahblahblah...solved it with vinegar and oil, a tasty lubricant...'The Whispering Way', a droll name...blahblahblah...of to Lepidstadt, and a horrid 'monster'...blahblahblah...turned to be my good friend, Stitches, not a monster at all...blahblahblah...gave us a hell of a time in swamp searching for the Sausage Effigy, but not the good kind of sausage at all...blahblahblah...the halfling count get it up...blahblahblah...until finally I was satisfied when the town crier serviced me directly...and then..." Wren babbles on and on, pausing for a question then continuing with the story.
"And then we learnt that the Whispering Way had had some dealing with some werewolves," Wren continues on. "I'm not against dallying with hairy men, but wolves...blahblahblah...don't use the tongue enough, then too much...blahblahblah...eating a bloody heart...blahblahblah...command of all the werewolves and the right of primae noctis, for which I would have gladly submitted...blahblahblah...only Lena didn't want to take part in that or--*cough*," Wren coughs up a few feathers, pauses and continues. "So...after fixing the werewolves, we tracked the Whispering Way here, where we are beset by all sorts...blabblahblah...'color eaters'...blahblahblah...and skum, and not the soapy kind...blabblahblah...and so all we need to do now is go back underwater and find out what's going on."
Wren waits for any more questions, certain she has explained everything perfectly and clearly.
May I find shade and rest with your group?
Wren looks at Lena, then W'Jack, and shrugs.
"Sure, I guess. I mean, if you're friends with Jameson, then I suppose you'll be fine," Wren articulates while weaving a few more feathers into her armor. They seem to be from a tengu, but no one could imagine where she got fresh tengu feathers. "But I won't have you and Jameson fighting over me. I live to serve my little birdies."
@Wren Bronin just has a slackjawed stare.
......... Uh-Huh...........
No sense motive is needed to tell that Lord Bronin Dohari has no idea how to properly process "Wren" as a whole.
He is fine with the long and singsong stories that he can't exactly follow. Heck, he has experience with things neigh indescribable. Telling those stories, without context, could be vaudevillian.
LIKE WREN IS.
He just doesn't understand yet how Wren is.....Wren.
Nothing in the Forests, or Deserts, or First World.... well, the First World might help explain Wren.......
He turns his attention to the others.
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Please let me translate for the crazy bird elf. The prof was murdered by the whispering way. They stole the soul of a ghost and an item called the sea sage effigy. Then they stole the heart of a werewolf king. We chased them, and when we found them we sliced, diced and burned them up. But two got away. We chased one to here, and let me tell you, this place is full of the crazy. Skim, inbred villagers, and giant crab monsters (delicious with butter by the way). And other things. Still, we are chasing the rider.
She shrugs
left out a whole lot, but you'll catch up. Welcome to the party.
We chased one to here, and let me tell you, this place is full of the crazy. Skim, inbred villagers, and giant crab monsters (delicious with butter by the way). And other things. Still, we are chasing the rider.
A very young, early 20's, and beautiful girl with flowing brown hair peeks out from behind Lord Bronin and Jameson. Their larger frames easily hiding her much smaller one.
Hearing of the town she pouts, placing her hands on her hips and scowls, though it somehow remains cute, at Vladlena. "That's still my home." She puts a finger on her chin. "Well until I found out about the children that is. I left with these two." She rests a hand on their arms and smiles. "I'm Elena! I worked at the Walleyed Kraken serving drinks." She seems very proud of her job. As she steps out further you see that she must have left in quite some hurry as she is still wearing her ale-stained apron, tied loosely around her waist.
Scuttling out from in between her legs is one of the most sorry examples of a chicken. It barely has enough feathers left on its body to cover a quarter of it's body as it looks jealously at Wren. The chicken skids to a halt, puffing it's chest as it squares up with the much larger bird woman. It's neck is much too long for it's body as it wobbles about unstable and the chicken's eyes cross.
"BAWK!" It screeches. Elena steps out and kicks the chicken. "Get out of here! Why do you keep following me." Her foot tosses it a few feet away where it scuttles about before pecking at a rock. Her face turns red as she blushes. "Sorry he followed me from the kitchens. He was gonna be tonight's pot pie.
Jameson nods along with Wren's story. He has seen this many times before and learned to separate the substance from the style of it.
"That is good Babu. I have brought these two good people and this very brave chicken to help. We will kill this Whispering Way. Is good to meet you, Lena and...we have two Lenas, that will not do. One of you is chicken friend, how will I know you little one?"
He turns to Vladlena expectantly.