Dot
Zorro sword swish and a dot.
"The heavily fortified capital of Nerosyan, seat of Queen Galfrey of Mendev and last defense against the Abyssal hordes of the Worldwound, rises ominously into the grim, overcast sky. Venture-Captain Thurl, a burly, one-eyed dwarf covered nearly head to toe in jagged red tattoos and silver, spiked piercings, quietly leads the way into his dark research library. Strange demonic idols, flesh-bound tomes, and even a taxidermied vrock loom above the long, candlelit table. Thurl motions to the high-backed leather chairs around the table and then silently
passes a scrap of paper.
“'A novice doing busywork in one of the archive storerooms in the Grand Lodge came across this two days ago. I’d normally be the first to chastise new recruits for whispering and rumor mongering, but I’m glad the boy had heard of the current situation with the Shadow Lodge. I don’t know exactly what he heard, or how much of it was true, but he had heard enough to make a connection. He showed his instructor, who passed it all the way up to the Ten. They have instructed me to pass it to you, and to give you your next assignment.'”
8 Pharast, 4581 AR
Stumbled into the Storasta safe house today, on the run from that angry Kellid shaman. Pretty lousy substitute for a real lodge, but decent enough, I guess. Kept that tribe from gutting me, anyhow. While I was there I had a chance to read a bit of that Prophecy everyone says is so great. No idea why. All gibberish if you ask me. Listen to this bit:
“the Eye opens, drowned lands deserted
a chittering host, Sarkoris perverted
the gaze to the future shall come to
an end
the world will know wounds that no
magic can mend”
and also:
“the mighty tower that reaches the Sky
shall fall to the Shadow and legions
will die
the Ten, unmasked, will meet their demise
and in their place a new Lodge
shall arise”
If I didn’t know better I'd think this “prophecy” below had some thing to do with the Decemvirate, but who am I to decode these things? Ah well, tomorrow I head south to Ustalav to see if I can’t find that rusty old mace.
“'What you have in your hands is a portion of a journal written by a Pathfinder in Sarkoris years ago. It seems a crazy old woman had been possessed by some power beyond our understanding, wrote a library full of that sort of gibberish, then keeled over dead. At the time, everyone thought it was nonsense, a false prophecy that defied the most trusted claims of history’s greatest seers. Had they only foreseen then that her predictions may be among the few viable prophecies of the current age, the world might be a very different place right now. What matters now is that we get our hands on as much of the original document as still exists, but that won’t be an easy task.' Thurl points to a massive, weathered map hanging on the wall behind him. 'The Sarkorian Prophecy was last held in a Pathfinder safe house ten miles east of Storasta, in a nameless trading post once under the city’s control, in what is now the demon-infested wasteland known as the Worldwound, not many days’ travel from here.
'We can’t teleport you past the wardstones set around the Worldwound’s perimeter to keep the Abyssal hordes contained, so you’ll have to walk across the border. Get to Storasta, get as much of the Sarkorian Prophecy as you can, and get the hell out of there. This is perhaps the most dangerous mission you’ve ever been on. The Decemvirate don’t trust you enough to think you’re going to survive the Worldwound, so you aren’t the only team they’re sending, but go in prepared for the worst. In fact, I’d make sure you’ve got all the food and water you can carry. Unless you’d like to eat what’s growing in there.'”
Chara ring is a relatively young but excited pathfinder. She has strapped to her waist a well balanced rapier, wearing some of the best armour that her money could buy. A set of Mithral Chain rests beneath her out of layer of clothing. Her outer layer being a little more stylish with a short leather coat and a bandana that are just for show. She has her brown hair down, it waves gently in the drafts through the corridors of the library.
"So basically suicide mission, get a bunch of ancient stuff and fight a bunch of demons.. or is it devils? I can never remember. Have I got that right?" Chara asks with burning desire for adventure in her eyes.
The last few jobs had been fairly simple so Chara was looking for something to satiate her lust for daring tricks. This seems to be her ticket in. She is known amongst pathfinders to often jump the gun on many things, despite being agile she is probably the most flamboyant fighter that most people been on the battlefield with.
"Are we just to carry as much of these books or prophecies or other doohickeys back here? Without em getting damaged of course! ... maybe at a loss of one or two pages.." She mutters at the end.
The burly beast of a man sat lazily in his seat. He was tall, even for a half orc, with boots that seemed to be tall enough to house a small family of halflings. His black hair and black eyes seemed unnaturally still as he sat, and only the faint movement of his chest betrayed his life. That is unless you were within a few inches of his skin, and then it seemed like he was made of stones from the hearth, and you could feel it radiating.
His most exquisite lady was out of town, and he had to wait to get back. One did not live in this city for long and not have the opportunity to kill demons, so he had done perhaps more than his share, and he had the scars to prove it. A little excursion into demon infested lands sounded like a decent challenge, so it didn't bother him.
Lorkov gets up and takes a look at the map. Squinting his eyes, he finds Nerosyan and the spot 10 miles east of Sorasta. He placed his hand in front of the map, keeping his middle finger at due north and taking his other hand, he took a nail and scraped through the skin at the proper angle to get from one place to the next being careful not to get blood on the map. "That should do." He said with a heavily accent, although it was tough to really tell what kind of accent it was.
He walked back to his seat and sat, waiting for more questions to be asked.
Barlo sits pondering the words... rolling his steepled fingers across his pursed lips. He then copies the known portions of the prophecy into a journal, and underlines certain words.
Though his face is wildly expressive while solidifying thoughts in writing, he speaks with the even tones of a calm pragmatist.
"It seems a fair assumption about the Ten being a reference to the Decemvirate. All that is needed to crack a code is such a key. I have some initial thoughts, but I would prefer to mull things over a bit first."
on any Knowledge, Linguistics, or Spellcraft skill checks
without spending a use of inspiration, provided he’s
trained in that skill.
Barlo recognizes "the Eye" as a reference to the Eye of Abendego, the perpetual hurricane that arose upon Aroden's death, the same event that spawned the demonic abcess known as the Worldwound, which subsumed the now-fallen nation of Sarkoris. You also recognize the date as preceding these events.
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Description
Arae wears a deep blue blouse underneath her leather armor, along with trousers and a sturdy set of boots. A curved sword hangs in a scabbard from her belt, and she has a bow and a quiver hanging over her shoulder.
The great tiger sports a set of light mithral barding, and a wide red collar.
Arae grinned at Chara. I like her already.
"Sounds like a good time, yeah?"
She stroked the chin of her humongous pet. He gave a low reverberating purr. I wonder how much food I'll need to bring for you...
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After taking a seat, the muscular Tien man in samurai armor draws his katana and runs a whetstone along its edge. Though the magic enhancements to the blade made it unnecessary, Kasei had long found it meditative to perform this ritual. His eyes linger on each other pathfinder, appraising their capabilities, and also appreciating each's unique appearance, as well as the ferocious beauty of the tiger accompanying the half-elf.
"The light of Shizuru will banish the dark forces that keep us from our goal. Demons, not devils. Make sure you have cold iron. I will make sure to prepare spells to give weapons a blessing from the divine. As for food and water, I will be able to purify food and create water for us, although bringing food is wise as well."
The amulet of a katana on a sunburst, the symbol of Shizuru, is clearly visible on his breast. Another amulet, the symbol of the Silver Crusade, hangs beside it.
"What deities do you all serve, may I ask?"
"Huh?" Chara tilts her head back to Arae, to look at the girl addressing her, she smiles and gives her a wink. "Oh yea, going to be a great time. Demons.. devils.. angry fire spirits sound far more fun than skewering thieves that have two left hands!" Chara laughs.
Chara looks confused at the man with a Katana. "Does it matter which god I serve, hah.. nah.. honestly ones that give me the luck of a good time. Whichever one that might be at the time. Hmmm.. today .. today.. it is Cayden. Does that help?" Chara begins to fiddle with a small coin between her fingers.
As it looked as if they were no longer interested in questions, except perhaps the Smart fellow, but he didn't figure he would need to stay here to ask them. He turned to the Samurai and spoke in his gravelly voice as he rose to his full height of Six and one half feet. "I know not of your gods, nor does it matter. Lorkov only acknowledges Shelyn."
He took slow methodical steps to the door and nodded to their host. "I am prepared for demons. You just have to hit Demons harder. Like a gentleman he opened the door for the ladies in particular. But the pause caused him to reconsider. "But I might like a new weapon. I think about this cold iron."
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Barlo closes his journal and stands. "I don't believe I have any questions. If our job is simply to retrieve the prophecy, I don't believe I need to prepare myself to fully grasp its meaning."
He turns to the samurai as he stows his writing supplies.
"Not terribly religious myself, but I have always had an affinity toward Irori. I admire those who attain greatness armed with little more than an unquenchable will."
Barlo Balfori bows his head in farewell to Venture Captain Thurl.
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Having skipped in late rather like a skittish fawn, Alcibie finds a place for herself out of everyone’s way, brushing a shoulder-length lock of platinum hair from her face as she quickly scans the faces of the others in the room while listening to the latter half of the Venture-Captain’s briefing and the pensive human’s questions. The young elf finds she has little to add, and holds her peace as the wild women enthusiastically discuss the expedition. Never having been this far north before, Alcibie considers the Worldwound with some trepidation. And remember, keep calm. Own your anger, especially where there are demons to exploit it.
One thought does occur to her as she joins the others in offering their respects to the Venture-Captain on the way out, brought to the forefront by the Tien human’s remarks. “What does grow in there? Not that I object to waybread – I’m only asking because I’m new here.”
“Calistria,” she adds, turning to the priest. “Although I follow, rather than serve – I try to keep Our Lady in the Room in my heart, but I’m afraid my path has not led me to a cleric’s devotion.”
Any food you forage near the Worldwound is likely to have a demonic taint, if it doesn't attack you outright. You'd be well advised to bring a bag lunch.
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As they walked out of the building Lorkov lowered his left hand to the ground, his claws raking furrows in the dirt. He let the dirt fall through his finger on the small cut he had made inside and rubbed it in a little. "I've some purchases to do. I'll meet you at the western gate. Then we can go."
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"Not many" days from here, Alcibie thinks. Let's hope we're not traveling too lightly. It shouldn't take more than a fortnight, should it?
She makes a few additional purchases, then makes her way to the western gate, where she adjusts her backpack and checks her weapons one last time. Her hand lingers over her dagger. I hope this'll work, or at least that it won't have to be tested on anything tricky...
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While waiting at the gate, Kasei engages Alcibie and Lorkov in conversation, discussing tactics and their respective powers. "I have prepared align weapon in case it is needed to pierce the defenses of the demons. For lesser demons, however, the weapons we are using would seem to be sufficient. I trust you both have the usual curing wand?"
Chara while daring isn't stupid, she makes sure to pack a few rations of food. Enough to keep her going for a few days but not enough to weigh her down or dine anywhere near lavish. She needs to be bouncy and in tip top shape, not being sluggish from a full stomach.
Chara arrives at the gate rearing to go, she is excited to depart and grows impatient as the others file in. "Come on fellas, we want to be the first to the target don't we? don't we?!" She clamors with jubilation.
Arae took great care to pick out the choisiest slabs of dried meat for her big friend, as well as various foods for herself that wouldn't spoil on their trip. Ugh. Trail rations.
She picked up a fresh deer carcass from a butcher as well. Luckily, the tiger could go days between eating.
She then took Snowfang outside the city, and made sure he ate well.
Afterwards, she met up with her new travel companions.
"Aye. For a great adventure!"
The terrain within the Worldwound shifts both subtly and drastically from moment to moment, resulting in strange, fleeting sights in one’s peripheral vision. What remains of an overland road passes through a circle of long-standing burial mounds. Most sport collapsed entrances, though the northernmost barrow remains intact, its door looming ominously. Air vents billow forth putrid steam in all directions, and the ground is soggy with filthy water.
Chara Perception:
Kuwabara Perception:
Alcibie Perception:
Lorkov Perception:
Barlo Perception:
Arae Perception:
Kuwabara Kn(planes):
Alcibie Kn(planes):
Barlo Kn(planes):
The party notices that the tops of several of the ancient barrows have been blown off, as though they exploded from the inside. Barlo recognizes that these may be the result of abyssal geysers, through which raw chaotic energy explodes from pent up reserves beneath the earth.
As you reach the barrows, not only does the sand on the ground whip up into a dust storm, but the clouds ahead begin to churn, picking up rubble and even trees and it coalesces into a tornado. A tornado that begins to come your way.
Initiative!
Chara:
Kuwabara:
Alcibie:
Lorkov:
Barlo:
Arae:
Environment: 1
Chara falls into her normal defensive style wondering if these crazy whirlwinds are going to fight her. The worldwound is very alien to the city lady she is. The dust immediately makes her brings her bandana over her mouth so that she will not start choking. Chara presses forward trying to push past the dangers of the land.
Her eyes dart around looking for a demon or two, she is disappointed when nothing enters her vision. Though continues through the storm as the way to their target is forward.
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"Fascinating," Alcibie comments as Barlo points out the vents of the abyssal geysers. "I don't suppose there would be any way of tapping that energy so it wouldn't just ... erupt like that?"
That reminds her of another tool in her armoury that she didn't mention in her previous chat with Kasei, so she turns to him again. "I do have something that can channel chaos somewhat, though not predictably enough that I use it too frequently," she hastens to reassure him. The rising storm cuts her off as everyone hastens to cover their faces, Alcibie pulling a fold of her cloak around for the purpose.
Round 1: Test opponent's mettle while closing (Intimidate, most probably with blistering invective)
Round 2: If previous assessment less favourable, cast an offensive spell to gain advantage, otherwise cast defensively or prepare to engage
Round 3: Rage into melee!
Apart from that, she dabbles in a bit of everything, in true bardic fashion. She knows a couple of fire, and a couple of sonic spells, a few to mess with emotions, and she can do a bit of healing in a pinch. If she shares her rage she can boost saves against enemy magic along with a couple of other defensive tricks, or else with arcane concordance she can bolster arcane magic in a narrow area.
Alcibie turns to offer the least area to the force of the wind, and hurries as best she can towards the intact barrow in an effort to take shelter.
Barlo starts to wrap his cloak several times around his head while answering Alcibie.
"Not by any mundane means. Unstable... containment would be near impossible. Even through arcane means... it would likely be a poor return on investment."
He tries to keep up, but the winds temporarily halt his progress.
The large half orc scowls at the storm, attempting to see through what's going on and find the best solution when the warpriest shouted some strange words nearby. What did he call me? His blood began to boil, but he quickly closed his eyes for a second and began his mantra. He said her name a few times in his mind as he calmed himself down. That wouldn't have been possible just a few years ago.
Becalmed, he shouted back at the warpriest. "That's not my name, Lorkov is. I'm already looking!" He takes his cloak and covers his face, and does what he says, scanning the horizon for a place of reprieve. Soon he spots a likely place, and takes a few halting steps in what seems to be the right direction.
He spotted the not completely broken structure to the left and waved his arm and shouted. "Over here!" He trudged his big boots over toward the structure to get a look inside to make sure that it wasn't occupied.
Lorkov shouts about a structure to his left, Chara looks back over her shoulder trying to make out where he is going. She will follow him once she can see that he has reached the structure through this sandstorm.
The geyser farthest to your right explodes in a shower of ice crystals and fog, as cold air briefly washes over you and collides with the hot ash swirling in the sky. Ahead, you hear the churning sound of the tornado growing closer.
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Chara having been pointed out towards the barrow decides to go headlong towards it. Likely it is safer than the storm out here that even if it does little right now will build to something that will envelop them. She keeps her defence stance going and dips into the barrow with sword drawn. If the light of outside is not enough to the barrow she will quickly draw an everburning torch and light it. Dropping it to the ground illuminating the inside.
Barlo wills himself forward through the hot stinging winds and flying debris. His thoughts become focused on the words.. "get there.. get there.." repeating through his head like a mantra.
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Kasei will pull his rope out of his pack and toss one end to the people who are having trouble moving against the wind.
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As Alcibie walks ahead of the group, the ground gives way beneath her, and she sinks into a thick mire of quicksand.
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Alcibie gratefully grabs hold of Kasei's rope, and, unable to see a safe way ahead, tries to make her way back to solid ground. Her disgust gives her the strength to clamber over the edge where the ground gave way. She emerges dripping and furious, but makes the effort to take the fire out of her eyes as she calls back to Kasei, her voice muffled by her cloak and the storm, "Thanks. I wonder if there's another way around?"