Joanna Whitehall |
"They probably are mostly melee fighters. Take a look at the shields. Those are too useful to just use as grave markers unless you already have all of them that you could need or carry. I've still got the crossbow from when we went after Natalya, but I'm not what you'd call a good shot with it," Joanna says as she checks it and then grimaces as she realizes she missing something rather critical to use it anyway.
"Which might be just as well considering I've no bolts," she grumbles, "might as well use it for kindling for all the good it's going to do us now."
Annoyed with herself, she marches back to the boat and finishes cleaning her armor before trying to discreetly change her clothes so she could clean and mend the ones she'd worn during the fight. As she gets to work on washing the blood out, she frowns in thought. Teldon had a good point, but so did Zee and Briana, the island was perfectly defensible against an attack that had to get close, but it was hideously exposed to any attacks from range on the beach. She should have thought of that, but she felt thin and worn. She only had a few sparks of Iomedae's divinely given power, and once she'd used those, she would only have her sword and shield, and her father's increasingly battered armor, to rely on until she could rest.
Then there was the threat of the Gray Maidens. If they all had shields like the ones on the beach, she and Arsith were going to be in trouble. A skilled, well trained pair of fighters could bleed them badly, even if their armor was now better than theirs. If it was as heavy as it seems it might be, though, Joanna was certain that they'd lose any stand up fight without any help from the others, and even if they did have that help, they'd be badly mauled even if they did win.
"Well Halli," she whispers to the wolf lying in the boat as she finished scrubbing the blood from her clothes, "think those Gray Maidens will be reasonable?"
The wolf just rests her head on Joanna's lap and looks at her master with her blue eyes. Her mood is somber, in contrast to the playfulness she normally showed.
"I don't think they will either," Joanna replied, her gray eyes full of worry.
Shadlah Broken-Earth |
Shadlah claps the crusted dirt from her hands and digs her calloused toes into the sand of the beach. "The glass will remain here until the tide washes it away," she says in her usual low, gruff tone. "I agree that we should check the graves and the cavern door. If we find a room of some sort, I can help to shore its defenses."
Teldon Moore |
"There's no line of sight for archers or spellcasters to this island," Teldon murmurs to nobody in particular, "unless they're on that beach, but they don't have the boats to get there and there are no footprints in the sand..."
Despite his protest Teldon climbs into the boat and prepares to press on.
Joanna Whitehall |
"Teldon, we don't know if all of them left," Joanna says gently, "There could be more waiting here while only a few of them left for whatever errand they were running."
Actually, that's a good point, are there footprints in the sand? Is there any hints that they would have been washed away?
Teldon Moore |
the beach that has line of sight to us is not the same one where we took the boats... we haven't seen anything (yet) to indicate that they were ever here.
Joanna Whitehall |
It's the same one that has the shield/gravemarkers. I know it's not the one we took the boats from.
GM Zed |
Pushing away from the island, the friends make their way across to the beach where the mounds of sand suggest that two warriors fell... there are multiple footprints in the sand here - trailing between the shore, the mounds and the door to the west. Each of the mounds is covered by a heavy steel shield - and now that they are close enough to see, Teldon sees that thety are emblazoned with the ancient runic symbol of lust.
Briana Kaddren |
"Well, looks like someone definitely came this way," Briana whispers once they cross over to the small beach. She tiptoes over to the nearby door as best as she can and takes a look at it before gently pressing her ear to it, wondering if there's anything to be heard on the other side.
Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12
Joanna Whitehall |
Joanna mutters a brief pray for the souls of the fallen before joining Briana at the door. She has her sword and shield ready as she motions for Halli to cover Briana's other side.
Better safe than sorry.
Teldon Moore |
footprints, great- now my credibility is diminished... how in the hells did they get over here, this doesn't make any sense at all... unless maybe they rowed over here, gave up, and rowed back... I don't care for any of this...
Teldon grits his teeth and silently, sullenly, searches the area...
perception (take 10): 10 + 12 + 2 + 1d6 ⇒ 10 + 12 + 2 + (5) = 29 +2 v. traps
Ziomarra Callinovo |
Zee looks at the shields marking the graves, recognizing the Thassilonian rune. "That's an odd symbol to be on a shield." She also takes a closer look at the shields themselves, wondering if they are the same kind of shields the Gray Maidens used in Korvosa back in the bad old days...
Knowledge (local): 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (10) + 12 = 22
Rowenna |
While the group fans out and investigate the door, the shields, and other things, Rowenna pads over to Halli. After having had a little more time to observe their newest companion, Rowenna had decided that Halli wasn't too terrible to have around. Just insufferably curious at times.
"Maow?"
So...what can you do besides shred things with those teeth?
Teldon Moore |
"Its an ancient rune for Lust," Teldon grumbles, "it's likely they've been here for millennia... be careful anyways, though- for all we know their wielders are laying in wait beneath the sand..."
or are made of the sand the way things are going...
Joanna Whitehall |
"Teldon," Joanna says in a whisper only he can hear, "what's wrong? I've never seen you in such a grumpy mood."
Halli briefly rubs her muzzle on Rowenna's neck before going to Teldon's side and gently bumping his leg and butting her head against his hand.
GM Zed |
Examining the shields upon the mounds of sand, it is obvious to those that lived through Queen Illeosa's short and bloody reign in Korvosa, that these belonged to Gray Maidens - the Mad Queen's personal guards. At the the end of Illeosa's rule, the troop were disbanded - some held accountable for heinous crimes performed in the name of the queen, some rehabilitated into Korvosan society and some simply disappeared... the rune of lust, from the evidence of secondary smithing and heat tempering, appears to be a relatively recent addition to the shields.
Listening at the door to the west, Briana hears nothing... equally, Teldon's search of the beach finds nothing of particular note.
Actions? Resting? Heading through the door to the West? Something else using the boats?
Teldon Moore |
"Yes you have," Teldon corrects Jo. When Halli starts nudging his leg he sighs and a hint of a smile flickers on his face as he reaches down and gives her a pat on the shoulder.
"Well, where to now? Apparently the Grey Maidens found some way over here already after all, and judging from the recent alterations to these shields they were either defeated or converted... Zee, you should check them, and the mounds below them, for magic. I'll check the door for traps and then we can either push forward further or decide where to rest."
perception (take 20): 20 + 14 + 2 + 1d6 ⇒ 20 + 14 + 2 + (5) = 41
GM Zed |
Just giving you folks a little more forwards motion (feel free to continue exploration of the beach of you fancy it).
After Teldon has satisfied himself that there are no traps across the door - and no evidence of movement on the other side, he pushes the door open to reveal a large open room - the walls of the chamber are covered by detailed murals depicting wanton acts involving otherworldly beings of every description. The murals cover every vertical surface, but stop abruptly after turning down the hallway to the south, as though abandoned by the artist.
Map update to follow.
Joanna Whitehall |
"Okay, fair enough. I have, and you're dodging the question," Joanna replies. Halli enjoys the petting while it lasts, but when Teldon stops to give orders, the wolf gives Joanna a worried look.
"I don't know either, Halli. We'll just have to keep an eye on him," the paladin whispers to her as she scratches an ear.
===
When the door opens to scenes of debauchery emblazoned on the walls, Joanna's face turns beet red as her eyes widen in shock, and she hurriedly yanks the hood of her cloak down over her eyes.
"I'm never gonna get that outta m'head," she mutters as she fixes her eyes to the floor.
Halli, though, only cocks her head to one side, wondering why her partner seems so embarrassed.
GM Zed |
The artist, assuming that it was the work of a single genius, who painted this room was truly gifted... and, now that the friends have had more time to examine the work itself, they see a very obvious subtext - increasingly brazen suggestions of deep spiritual rot and decadence are apparent throughout the painting.
...and the hallway to the south, curves and disappears into the darkness...
Joanna Whitehall |
Perception Joanna: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 1 = 20
Perception Halli (Low-Light Vision, Scent): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24
Keeping an eye out for danger, or as much of an eye as she can while trying not to look at the debauched scenes, Joanna and Halli head to the corner to see what lay beyond. As they move, Joanna notices what appears the artist's signature out of the corner of her eye.
"Teldon, Zee, do you know who Amivadeus Yasrin was," she asks before following Halli into the passageway.
Arsith D' Abariane |
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The representation of the carnal act, in all its diversity, is a longtime inspiration for the arts. Of course, I'm not sure how... or even why..people would act like this, but you have to leave some creativity, respect the artist's freedom. In a sense, it's still beautiful, or was beautiful in the ancient eras, at least.
Wonder if Briana could draw like that... Not a tactful question to ask, I guess.
Teldon Moore |
With wide eyes and flushed cheeks, Teldon seems completely unaware of Jo's question as he processes the images on the walls. Eventually he manages ask, "did they really find this enjoyable?" as he examines one particularly unusual image.
Ziomarra Callinovo |
Back on the beach...
Zee casts a spell, seemingly looking through a faintly-glowing Harrow card. She examines the graves and the shields, then the door.
Detect magic
* * *
In the hallway...
Looking at the mural, Zee blushes. "Oh my... that's... well... hmmm..."
Zee ponders the name that Joanna mentions...
Knowledge (history) (to see if she recognizes the name): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15
Joanna Whitehall |
"Dunno," Joanna mutters in answer to Teldon's question from her position in the hallway, "I didn't get that much of an eyeful."
Shadlah Broken-Earth |
"Why are you so distracted by it?" Shadlah asks with uncharacteristic curiosity. "Have you not seen such things before? Sometime, I shall tell you of the Ghol-Ghan pleasure parlours I explored three Kuthonas back." She gives a low chuckle at some private joke and, shaking her head, follows Joanna, still trailing one hand lazily along the wall.
Joanna Whitehall |
"Please don't," Joanna quietly begs, "I'm embarrassed enough as it is!"
Halli, however, seems more amused than anything by her person's reaction to the room, even if she, like Shadlah, doesn't understand why she's embarrassed.
Briana Kaddren |
"Um...that's...uh..." Briana sputters, at a loss for words as they take in the sight of the murals in all their debauched glory. She tilts her head at one point in order to study one particular mural better. "I think you'd have to have bones made of taffy to bend like that..." she mutters.
"But you're right Arsith, this Yasrin was certainly talented enough," she adds. "We should probably keep moving though. If this place is anything like the Crow, we'll have a lot of ground to cover here."
GM Zed |
Ziomarra - a look into the aether around the beach reveals nothing of interest.
The name 'Amivadeus Yasrin' proves elusive to the friends - in truth, these murals were painted an age ago and the artist must surely be long since dead, and his name has not endured. Moving on, the friends follow the corridor off to the west... after a short while, it turns around on itself and heads back to the east - where a wide, locked iron gate bars the way...
The gate’s lock can be picked (Disable Device DC 30) or it can be forced open (hardness 10, HP60, break DC 25)
Teldon Moore |
Teldon seems even more lost in thought than usual as they walk away from the murals. It's only after they stop at the gate that he realizes there is need of his abilities. As he retrieves his tools his eyes meet Briana's for the first time since the paintings... his cheeks flush red and he drops the leather case, spelling small metal tools on the stone floor.
The clattering noise snaps him from whatever thoughts had overtaken him and he quickly crouches down and gathers up his things. Trying to pretend that nothing just happened, he sets to work trying to open the lock.
too flustered to take 20...
disable device: 1d20 + 14 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 14 + 2 + 2 = 31
thank the gods...
He sighs with relief when the door quickly clicks open. Still crouching, he purposefully diverts his eyes away from all his companions as he returns the tools to his pack.
Joanna Whitehall |
Seeing how uncomfortable everyone, save Shadlah, was, Joanna tries to take everyone's mind off the mural.
"So... do any of you have any siblings," she asks as she steps through the gate shortly followed by Halli.
Briana Kaddren |
When Teldon's eyes meet her own, Briana can feel her cheeks growing as red as his and finds herself thankful that at least he's got the task of getting the door open to distract him. Still, she has a feeling that none of them are going to forget those murals anytime soon...especially since they'll likely have to pass by them again unless they find another way outside later.
"Um...well, I had a brother..." she responds to Jo's inquiry, though she doesn't feel particularly enthused about this new topic either. "Bennett. But he died of enteric fever when he was six...all of us came down with it, I guess our cook at the time didn't do a very good job of making sure the meat in one of our meals was completely done," she sighs. "I was maybe two years old at the time. So I don't really remember him. There's a family portrait of us that was done not long before he died, though - my parents eventually took it down and packed it away but sometimes I'd sneak into our attic to look at it. Just so I could see his face. And I'd wonder what sort of person he would've been. I still wonder that, sometimes."
Teldon Moore |
Teldon lets all the women go by before he stands up and follows. He tries desperately to push away the flood of thoughts triggered by his passing moment with Briana.
He feels some relief when Jo brings up a new subject and offers, "I'm an only child. My mother and I almost died during childbirth. My father was friends with a priest of Sarenrae; he saved us but she was never able to conceive again afterwards."
GM Zed |
As Teldon works at the lock, tumbler by tumbler opening within the mechanism, a voice calls through the gate, “Greetings, friends or foes... Which be you? I’ll open the gate for you myself if you be the former, but fear I must prevent your passage if you be the latter. Would you speak the pass phrase for me?”
...the voice - undoubtedly male, through the iron gate, seems to radiate an otherworldly calm.
Joanna Whitehall |
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (12) + 11 = 23
Joanna winces as she hears both Briana's and Teldon's answers. Before she offer an apology, however, someone calls out from the other side of the gate.
"We do not come to be foes, if that helps ease your mind. I'm Joanna, would you mind telling us your name?"
If nothing else, I can stall and try to give Teldon time to pick the lock.
Ziomarra Callinovo |
Before the voice calls from the darkness...
Zee smiles wistfully at Jo's question, a hint of melancholy in her expression. "I have two sisters, both younger. Euzenia is my junior by seven years. I last saw her in Kaer Maga two years ago when our caravan and I parted ways. She wanted to be a Harrower too, but Grandmother said that she did not have the Gift. But little Marizzinel did. She was three years younger than Euzenia; ten years younger than me. I am certain that her power would have exceeded my own in time... But she died of Blood Veil when the plague overran the Varisian encampment at Trail's End, just outside the walls of Korvosa. She was but nine years old when she died. Fie Cântarea Stelelor binecuvânteze sufletul ei..."
Now...
Surprised at the voice from the darkness that interrupts her reverie, Zee adds, "We bear ill will to none! I am called Ziomarra. Who are you?"
Diplomacy (aid another): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7 ...and my string of terrible rolls continues!
Joanna Whitehall |
"Would you believe me if I said I have never meet an Oriana in my life," Joanna asks. "I'm pretty sure that none of us have ever stolen people either. Do you want to talk about it? A few of us are good listeners."
Shadlah Broken-Earth |
Before:
"If I have brothers or sisters, they were born to my mother before she reached Magnimar," Shadlah shrugs. "She had no more after me. It was difficult enough to feed two."
Now:
Shadlah takes a few seconds to focus, her skin taking on a more normal tone, sweeping over the smooth texture of marble. The dirt that clings to her shins and forearms in a thick crust begins to slough away as she momentarily closes her connection to the plane of earth, looking for all the world like a more normal person.
Taking a full-round action to suppress my elemental overflow, negating both the visual effects and the bonuses to my blasts (both will automatically return when I next use a blast).
Joanna Whitehall |
"Oh, sorry. I misunderstood," Joanna apologizes sheepishly before moving on quickly, "as my friend says, we are not allies of the Gray Maidens, though we have been hoping to avoid bloodshed. Can you tell me more about what happened?"
Joanna's still trying to buy Teldon time.
GM Zed |
As the final tumbler in the gate's lock clicks open, the voice whispers one final time, "Sorshen may have no more use for me... but I will win her back. I asked for the pass phrase yet you have given me none... I regret that you have left me no option other than to consider you foe".
Opening the gate?
Arsith D' Abariane |
Arsith was silent since Jo asked about anyone siblings.
She had sisters, two of them, and a brother. But the D'Abariane had expelled her from her own family, when they realised the young Arsith was in love with another woman. Hated words were exchanged, and she hasn't seen Jomyra and Anrie, her sisters, or her older brother Leiss, in years.
So the pale haired woman was on the verge of tears, and brooding silently, reminiscing the harsh days.
Joanna Whitehall |
==Of Siblings and Bad Memories==
Joanna starts to say something when she sees Arsith's tears brimming her eyes. She hadn't meant to say anything that brought up such painful memories in her friends, but before she could apologize, they were being challenged at the gate.
==Enemy at the Gate?==
"How can we give something we have never had a chance to know? We are not with the Gray Maidens nor have we ever met Sorshen ourselves! What would it take to convince you that we do not wish to fight and that we are not your enemy," Joanna asks, a note of exasperation in her voice.
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (1) + 11 = 12
Welp, that just nixed any chance we had.
Halli, hearing and feeling Joanna grow more irritated at the man's last words, gives a low growl as her eyes flatten part of the way to her head.
Ziomarra Callinovo |
Zee joins the conspiratorial whisper. "Sorshen has been dead for countless centuries. I think he must be mad!"
She pauses, glances past the gate and adds, "I could try to ensorcell him... and perhaps convince him to let us pass without bloodshed...?"
Joanna Whitehall |
"He does seem to be more thick headed than I am. I'll draw him out, unless one of you has a better plan," Joanna whispers. She looks to see if there's any objections, then waits for everyone to be ready before rushing through the door with her shield leading.
Assuming there are no objections:
Opening the door then total defense as she enters the room.
Halli will follow close behind and move to protect Joanna's flank.
Assuming that Joanna can take a Total Defense action, her AC is 26/16/25
Teldon Moore |
"He may have been seeing Sorshen," Teldon whispers, "if he had the shard he may well have had visions like when we first found the Pride shard. And if it was influencing him he may have been easy prey for a gang of women..."