Three times every year the Gateway Rite of Passage is held. Anywhere between four and ten of the young adults of the town travel to the ancient temple outside of the town and spend a full 'day' there. It's a symbolic ritual, saying that they are willing to put the community ahead of themselves, even if it's rarely true.
It also makes one an adult, allowing marriage, starting of businesses, moving past apprenticeship, travel to the surface, and other things of that sort.
That's what brings the small group - mostly from one Drow family - here on this day. Night. Whatever it might be. Inside they go.
Stay for 24 hours, walk back to town. Easy.
"Well, this is a cheerful place." Ovid rests his spear on his shoulder and smiles. "So, now what?"
"I think they were trying for inspiring, they failed."
Kevaras runs up to the temple in plate armour, stops to catch his breath, and walks in nonchalantly.
"Looks like I got here right on time."
He sits down on the nearest still-functional pew to Ovid and Corpus.
Kevaras runs up to the temple in plate armour, stops to catch his breath, and walks in nonchalantly.
"Looks like I got here right on time."
He sits down on the nearest still-functional pew to Ovid and Corpus.
"It's not like you would miss anything interesting anyway."
Malize scowls at having to put up with so many flighty men.
Vernal lounges into the temple in time to overhear some of the comments before blowing a kiss to Malize.
"Sweeting, have we accomplished operation "fashionably late"?"
"I am not in the vein today, brother." she replies tersely.
*Elegant shoulder shrug and happy smile*
"Tragic to take one's coming of age so seriously, but then you have responsibilities and I, being merely male, do not. So lucky for me."
Drifting over to Ovid and Kevaras, Vernal is openly curious.
"Is this rather tedious temple any more interesting than whichever monastery you've been adorning? Either of you - since I suppose even Paladins are made rather than born."
"Dear Corpus, how goes the day? Our beloved is her usual adorable self."
The temple itself is very very old. Much older than the town. The windows and the altar have very abstract artwork. A soft light fills the building though there is no apparent source for it.
There is food and water here, however. Gateway's 'elders' come the day before the ritual to make sure there are supplies.
Those who worship Lolth feel comfortable here. Whoever, or Whatever, this temple is devoted to is not at odds with the Queen of Spiders.
Malize sneers as her twin walks off.
She walks around to examine the temple and to take note of who else arrives.
Drifting over to Ovid and Kevaras, Vernal is openly curious.
"Is this rather tedious temple any more interesting than whichever monastery you've been adorning? Either of you - since I suppose even Paladins are made rather than born."
"The company's a hell of a lot better. Other than that, I guess this place is a bit less well-maintained. Not that different, actually."
"The company's a hell of a lot better. Other than that, I guess this place is a bit less well-maintained. Not that different, actually."Drifting over to Ovid and Kevaras, Vernal is openly curious.
"Is this rather tedious temple any more interesting than whichever monastery you've been adorning? Either of you - since I suppose even Paladins are made rather than born."
Kevaras smiles, "I hail from a temple hollowed out of a gigantic stalactite, suspended over molten lava! Supposedly adherents would learn vigilance as well as embrace the death would always lurk nearby!"
"I tried my hardest to cheer up that dour place and I suspect that's why they were so eager to get rid of me with this excuse of a coming-of-age-ceremony!"
Malize rolls her eyes. Men are such gossips.
"You are becoming quite tedious, all of you." she says dismissively.
She looks over Kevaras appreciatively, "Men should be seen and not heard." she adds with a smirk, "Don't let my brothers lead you astray, pretty one."
A large Hobgoblin male stumbles through the front doors of the old temple. He wears shoddy clothing that fits his slave/servant heritage. He carries what looks like a long thin slate stalactite as a quarterstaff, and a few daggers poke out from beneath his garments. He sees that he is in the company of a bickering family of drow and one shadowy shadar-kai. He is obviously underdressed and overwhelmed.
"I'm supposed to be here, I think, for the Rite of Passage."
He was given a chance to attend the ceremony due to his unique gifts which have been manifesting themselves by the way of powerful magic. He has only recently been respected for more than his worth as a strong body and obedient servant. With this newly found respect, he has also had a strange urge to leave Gateway, almost a feeling of being pulled ... pulled to the surface. His ultimate goal is to gain enough clout (fame, gold, power) to take what remains of his family, free them from servitude, take them out of Underdark, and back to the surface where his family rightly belongs.
"Are we not paying enough attention to you dear sister? We men must speak to make the plans you will take credit for latter."
"Vernal nice of you to show up, Mother must have had the family guard roust you out of bed earlier than usual."
"Tell me Kevaras is the location of your temple in such a precarious location to promote 'true' faith or to drive the unfit insane?"
Attempting to hide his contempt. "Are you powerful Hobgoblin? We can overlook your racial handicap if your power is useful to us. If not we can find some chains in your size."
"I have heard of the Shades Ovid, I look forward to seeing if their reputation can hold up to real battle."
"I have heard of the Shades Ovid, I look forward to seeing if their reputation can hold up to real battle."
"Well, if you want you can find out personally." Ovid cracks his knuckles and grins.
Corpus unsheaths his hatchets (turning them backwards) and returns Ovid's grin.
"Be careful with those. It's not time for anyone here to die."
"Be careful with those. It's not time for anyone here to die."
1d20+4
"That's why I'm holding them backwards. Did you think I was using some secret drow technique?"
"Be careful with those. It's not time for anyone here to die."
1d20+4
Go for it, if you want, but you just might wanna save those good rolls for when it matters!
Without another word, Ovid darts over to Corpus and sends a fist rocketing towards his face.
Corpus releases an involantay grunt, suprised by the force of Ovids blows.
Corpus distracts Ovid with one of his hatchets and suprising him with an unexpected blow with the second.
Surprising Stab:
Attack vs Reflex, , hit
Ovid takes 4hp damage and now grants me CA, EOMNT
and now for my secondary attack,
Attack vs AC, , damage =
total damage = 23hp
"First round, mine."
Ovid takes the first blow, but it would take more than that to fell him. He readies another blow-
-and the second blow comes down on his head like the hammer of an angry god. Ovid collapses to the floor, blood pooling from a small gash on his forehead.
Ovid slowly picks himself off the ground. "Good fight. Damn, that hurt." Ovid takes off a sash and ties it around his head. "Ready for another round?"
"Whenever you are." Corpus says with less derision in his voice.
Ovid runs up to the fighter and swings at his kidneys.
The blow slides off of Corpus' armor.
"Tell me Kevaras is the location of your temple in such a precarious location to promote 'true' faith or to drive the unfit insane?"
"Mostly to 'inspire' the faithful, though we had fewer spontanous outbreaks of combat."
Kevaras draws his longsword and moves adjacent to the food and drinks.
She looks over Kevaras appreciatively, "Men should be seen and not heard." she adds with a smirk, "Don't let my brothers lead you astray, pretty one."
Kevaras's eyes widen in surprise, and he bows slightly towards Malize, "Perhaps I should follow your lead, mistress?" ;)
"This is why I don't get up in the morning. Even not-quite-dying doesn't stop him. So exhausting."
Vernal leans against a pew and watches his more energetic sibling at work. Casting a limpid glance at his twin, he adds,
"Sweeting, can't you do something to calm him down?"
He looks curiously at Santander and continues more generally over the sounds of amicable battle.
"Curious and possibly entertaining to find you here. I am here to spread the mantle of my protective presence over Malize. So I had to get up. Mother is fussy like that." He shrugs. "Drow family life is so endearing. Quite like paladin training from the sound of it, in our case."
"Perhaps." Malize replies airily to the paladin.
She sighs as Corpus and Ovid spar.
"Are we quite finished playing, children?"
She ignores the hobgoblin.
Corpus responds with a chop across Ovid’s abdomen using Weapon Master's Strike.
Attack vs AC, ,
“Martial perfection only comes by constant ‘playing’ as you put it Malize.”
"But our darling has us to do that for her."
Vernal gestures lightly at Ovid wrapping him in a sickly aura and highlighting his weak points for Corpus.
"Family feeling is a wonderful thing."
Vernal drifts closer to the combatants.
This is the Underdark, not Friendly Land! :) You're here for one day, if you didn't bring your own food, you'll be hungry. For now.
As for adding axes, you'll get a chance for that soon enough.
As the lights surround Ovid, he simply fades away. Corpus' shadow begins to stir in unnatural ways, and a humanoid form glowing a sickly purple lunges at the undead drow. "It will take more than that to save you..."
"Nice trick that."
Weapon Master's Strike.
Attack vs AC, ,
Malize ignores the fight and approaches Santander, "You. Hobgoblin." she says with an air of arrogance, "What talent do you bring here?"
"Dearest Malize, you should listen to someone other than yourself sometimes. He told us. He's coming of age. And I'd say his talents were obvious."
"I didn't know he was your type," Malize retorts smoothly, talking about Santander as if he isn't there.
She yawns elegantly and leaves to talk to Kevaras again.
"How well you know me."
Santander stands with mouth agape. Before he can answer the half-dead drow about his power, a fight breaks out. Santander backs up away from the brawl. After the first round of heavy blows is won by the drow, Santander wanders towards the spread of food, but quickly backs away again realizing another drow has staked his claim. He pulls rations from his pack and chews on some hard bread as he watches another round of brawling from a safe distance leaning on his staff.
Santander wanders towards the spread of food, but quickly backs away again realizing another drow has staked his claim.
Kevaras notices the hobgoblin approach and then back away. He realizes the misunderstanding and chuckles while putting away his sword and shield.
"C'mon, my cooking can't be that bad!" He approaches Santander and offers him one of the bottles of lichen wine.
"Here, try some..." he closely examines the bowl of food in his other hand, "...mushrooms and lizard eggs!"
Time passes...
There's sparring, there's eating, there's not very much else to do.
In fact, it's probably quite boring in the temple as the hours pass.
Will that last? Perhaps...
Ovid leans against the pew and takes a swig of water. "You're not half bad."
Santander thanks Kevaras and partakes in a few of the delicacies. Santander strolls about the temple getting to know the surroundings.
G19
Perception Check,
Initiative Check,
Winded by Ovid's blows Corpus stikes back,Weapon Master's Strike.
Attack vs AC, ,
"I just figured why you give me so much trouble.
I've been specializing in groups. Battling gangs for local charities, that kind of thing."
"Is that what you call them now - Charities?"
I saunter over to and stare up at what's left of the roof.
Charities
Charities
"Malize, precious one, do join us."