"If you were able to point us in the direction of Koralgesh, give us what we need to find it, then we would have the capacity to pass along any information we gather relating to your claim. Is there anything you can think of that might serve that purpose?"
"I could care less about the claim. I do want my father's hammer though. It's a family heirloom, and a powerful weapon. If you can promise to bring me that, I'll tell you what I know about getting into what's left of the city."
Kievan nods, "I will discuss your terms with my companions. Please wait here.", then heads over to the others' table.
"He wants only to have us retrieve a family heirloom - his father's hammer. Do you all agree to his terms, or should we look for the entrance on our own?"
"Return a family heirloom to a member? Or search around aimlessly for a lost city?" Octavian grins jokingly. "I think we can agree to those terms."
Onyx notes what's being said even as she talks , she careful chouses her words before answering
“I think if, and I mean 'if' we come across this artifact eh talks of we shall of course will try our best to get it retrieve and return it with all due hast.”
Having gathered a majority vote, he returns to the bar. "Your terms are acceptable. If we find your father's hammer, we will return it to you. Now, you were telling me the location of the entrance to the lost city?" Kievan looks at Stump expectantly.
I think that that would be a fair trade.
"My father Banduran gave me this amulet." He says pulling up a golden, coin-shaped amulet on a leather thong around his neck. On one side it depicts Mazda as a man, standing tall inside a shrine with the sun hovering above him. Stump flips the coin over, and holding it out for Kievan says, "Here. See for yourself."
In valley east of great Elmo's peak,
if Koralgesh is what you seek.
Stand close and face the shrine of yore,
if you would find the only door
In morning light of longest day
if Mazda would send you on your way.
"I haven't been up the old shrine in many years. But the summer solstice is only a week away. You could make it there in that time easily." He takes a long drag of his ale and looking at the half-elf sideways says, "You do realize that city is a smoking ruin infested with god knows what manner of foul monsters, right? Everyone who goes looking for it too hard never comes back."
"Well that sounds oddly specific for cryptic messages yes?" Octavian says jokingly "Stand near the temple on the first light of summer solstice."
Kievan nods to Stump. "I am aware, but we have been charged with a duty, and will do our best to discharge it. Thank you for your help, and we will hope to be returning your father's hammer to you in a few weeks' time."
"I hope you succeed. Good luck then." Stump says, nodding, before standing up to walk over to the darts board. He alternates throwing darts with drinking his ale. He smiles at the group when their eyes meet, but makes no further attempt at conversation unless approached.
Onyx moves close now they have an agreement
"May I see the Medalion"
Taking it she Mems the text, then makes a running with her note pad and silver point pence, then uses a power
"I think it would be best for us to leave in the morning. So, unless there are objections?" He looks at each group member in turn, and (once he confirms there are no objections) he nods and heads to the stables to spend some time with Vigi.
Once Kievan has gone and is well out of ear shot, Onyx relaxes. She takes her wine and going over to Stump, takes the now vacant seat, nods for a wine refill and says and smiling says Stump.
"I'm sorry about Kievan he's part elf as you may have noted, simple, methodical and sadly it would seem very abrupt in his ways. Once he has what he needs its off to the next thing."
She takes a sip of her wine and in a light whisper says.
"I do so hope hes not the same with his love making, I can see the elf maidens being very... disappointed."
She chuckles to herself, then asks stump.
"You survived the loss of the city, and settled here. That must be quite a tail. I will pay for your drinks if you would be so kind as to tell is the tail. Even simple it may hold knowledge that could help us in our search.
She nods for more ale,
"But where are my manners, Please call me Onyx, simple I know but it servers, and please do tell me your lifes tale."
Stump pauses in his dart throwing when the aasimar lady approaches him. At her seemingly random derision of the half-elf's powers in bed, one of his eyebrows raises and he offers a snort in the form of a reply. "Aint much to tell m'lady. Momma managed to flee the city with me as it was collapsing. I was still very young then. We came to Vigneto, and my mother took up work as a seamstress. When I was old enough I took an apprenticeship with the smith here to follow in my father's footsteps. When I was still apprenticed, momma died of the sweating sickness. I lived with the old smith, until he died when I was 25. One year, the winter was real bad. Some orcs come down from the mountain lookin' for food. Most of us men ended up fighting in the battle. I took an arrow to the leg, and the wound festered. Got so black and rotten that it had to go. That's how I ended up with this." He says, slapping his wooden leg. "Now I'm just an old smith who drinks too much." He holds up his cup for a toast, smiling at Onyx.
"No your more than that, your a Brave man, that leg lost doing a thing of honor, that means a lot to the likes of me. I know what its like to be in mortal danger, it takes will and courage to stand, things often hard to find. So It should be I toasting master blacksmith. I will get you another drink and a request, when next we meet if you have crafted for yourself a new leg of Iron, one befitting a skilled blacksmith, then I shall reword you with coin, if not I will buy you just one drink."
She orders one more drink for the smith and then says.
"What is life with out challenges, Strength and honor to you master blacksmith, think on what I said."
With that she heads off to her room to plan for the trip.
Octavian seeing the others wander off decides to go out to the stables. Once there he draws his sword and goes through a couple practice strokes before sliding easily into the sword forms of the legions. Short but strong thrusts meant to pierce enemey armor. Once he had worked up a sweat he changed the cadence flowing into the forms of his mother's people. These forms more resembled a dance then the violent thrusts of the legion.
After an hour or so of this he checks on Bellator making sure he was comfortable then heads up to his room to sleep until morning.
In her room Onyx sits on the floor and go's over the day, this is her ritual. She focuses her mind on the candle in-front of her until it is nothing but a point of light. She plays over the conversations, seeing the small details in the faces of the others, then holds its moments as she hunts for key information.
She enters into report with her psiCrystal
"tell me what did you observer."
Its mind linked to hers
"yes may lady"
Its time becomes one of dictation.
"Kievan's manner, he will act 1st in a situation, his thought processes are derisive, they arr 1:observe, 2:orient, 3:decide, and 4:act, always seeking the quickest decisions to act advantageously, He can be trusted to a point"
It stops then having no feed back from Onyx carry's on.
"Octavian Lupinus, Trooper, he looks 1st for any one who out racks him, this is a limitation of army training, He do not use logic but I would say his instincts, he is well trained and still alive, so one can assume his instincts can be relied on. He is affable and the sound you can hear is him training, again showing a very high level of self discipline. He is to be trusted"
Onyx adds
"Fully trusted, its been some time but we must have one now and then, you think hes that good"
The mind crystal just says.
"I do"
"Tell me of Gravis"
The Crystal carry's on
"Sullen man full of hostility, but he may have use, he has said to little for me to know more. But he loves his bird that I could sense. He can be trusted to a point"
Happy with matching observations Onyx asks
"I see, and Tiberius?"
"A cold hard killer, all the time with us in the meeting and inn front he was calculating dangers and threats, drink little of any thing and was always with his back to a door, hands close to his weapons. I would count him probably the most dangerous fight in our ranks. He can be trusted to a point."
Onyx sees all there faces in her minds eye, then thinks on the history of the city, some thing was bugging her.
"So all in all, a well picked and talented group, we may just have a change after all. Of the others, well little one the blacksmith was telling the truth, and he said some things that we should note. He was there when the city fell and said the city was collapsing wile he left, so we can say the place is a ruin. Also he said 'smoking ruin' odd that, why 'Smoking' humm. Well we need rest, sleep time, you keep an eye out for unwanted guests"
her mind link to Octavian she says into his mind
::"dear Octavian, Do not work to hard, tomorrow will be a long day, sleep well."::
Sleep comes and soon it was the next day.
Hearing Octavians training hour outside at the stables, Tiberius joins him.
Do you mind if I join you? My sword has a little bit rusted in my time outside the legion. Some sparring would be good for me.
"Sparring is a good way to get the full measure of ones new companions yes?" Octavian sayss turning to face Tiberius his sword upraised in a the familar Legion manner.
Intiative wow that sucked lol
Gravis sat in a quiet corner of the barroom sipping spiced wine while cracking chicken bones and feeding them to the bird. For her part, she was sitting on the table, the picture of good behavior. His sword was in easy reach. The innkeeper provided the bones after giving Gravis an odd look but not odder than he was really used to.
With his mistress asleep, Soruss moved to a place where it can see out of the window, looking down at the two men training wile overseeing the room and door, he notes there skills always seeking to keep his observations up to date.
Octavian grins and spins into a foreign strike starting the dual off in a flurry of motion. He mixes the two styles of attacks the long blade of his sword flickering out to strike at his opponent.
round 1
round 2
round 3
round 4
round 5
Total Damage= 21
Initiative:
Tiberius draws his gladius and holds it ready to strike besides his head, pointing the tip at Ovtavians head. His free hand rests in front of his body.
Round 1:
Tiberius fights defensively for the entire fight
Tiberius starts the fight with an tremendous battlecry and he tries with some realy quick strikes to force Octavian in a more cautious fighting style.
Intimidate: vs DC 12 -> Success -> Shaken for 1 round.
Octavian Attacks but his attack is too cautiously and doesn't hits Tiberius
Round 2:
Now Tiberius goes in the offensive.
Tiberius exploits that Octavian is still a little bit surprised and hits with a fast swing to Octavians left tight, wich is normally protected by the Scutum.
Octavians strike misses.
Round 3:
Knowing that Octavian would not let his former legion training leave his tight uncovered, Tiberius noch strikes a feint to the the left shoulder of Octavian just to make a swing with the short edge of his sword to the right shoulder to hinder Octavians weapon arm.
With a fast movement of his legft palm, Tiberius swipes the blade of Octavian, which would have hit him, away.
Round 4:
Now, Octavian tries to hit the body of Octavian with a few fast swings from both sides. One of them gets throug the well trained degfenses of Octavian.
Another time, Octavians well positioned strike is swept away.
Round 5:
Octavian seems to know Tiberius's fighting strike and lets Tiberius strike slip from his blade.
Another time, Octavians well positioned strike is swept away.
The small psicyrstal looks on verifying what it suspected
"Cheap tricks." Octavian growls out before saluting curtly and walks off towards his horse to check on him before going up to his own room to calm down and sleep off the small bruises he had gained while his opponent received nothing.
Dueling, meditating and eating all finished the night passes quickly. Morning comes, and with it the start of a new journey.
Kievan makes sure that Vigi is settled for the night, then heads to his room, prepared to get an early start in the morning.
Soruss wakes Onyx when light comes.
::"The day is here may lady, others are getting up"::
Onyx get up and looks out at the day,
::"Well we will need some thing for the trip, Flann can get them"::
She sits and makes a list, the others will add what they need but she can put down the basics for a 1 to 2 week trip.
She washes then toilets, before packing her things. Wile calling for food.
Eating in her room she ends the note to flann and get the Inn girl to deliver it with a ASAP.
She shifts her clothing to that of fine adventuring outfit, and puts on her hooded travel cloak.
::Come Soruss its time to go"::
Soruss scurry's into place, Onyx checks the room one for any thing she has left then leaves.
She heads to the stables, calling the boy she get him to carry her bags down to her fine war horse. She Checks him.
"Good Pleco, did they groom you well last night boy."
She pats her steed wile checking him over to see all is well, before leading him out front to be feed and watered.
to be slit v party
2 x bags Rolled Oats bags.
2 x bags - Fried fruit
2 x bags - nuts
2 x bags Flour
4 x Water skins
4 x bottles red wine.
2 x dried meat
2 x hard Cheese.
2 x salami sausage
6 x loafs of flat bread.
1 x Bag of salt.
1 x bottle Hard spirit
Rope if we do not have any.
and added to by others.
Gravis is leaning against the outside of the tavern, enjoying the early morning air. His bird is nowhere to be seen but from his pack and gear, it is easy to tell he is ready to get a move on.
After the Venturers have all gathered, and one of Flann's men has delivered the supplies Onyx requested they are ready to depart. They leave Vigneto heading south through the hilly, forested terrain. They pass occasional small vineyards and farms, often guarded by men with bows and staffs. By afternoon their way takes them off the roads and into the wild. As the sun is making its evening descent they come across three human skeletons. The bones are covered in shredded worn-looking linen tunics and there are three stout staffs lying nearby.
Octavian wheels his mount around scanning the foliage near the bones. His curved bow already had an arrow knocked to its string and he had been riding scout as he was used to doing while in the legion. He was fully armored the chain links of his helmet obscuring all but his eyes.
Perception
Survival
"Wolf tracks here." He reports to the others. "While they might not have killed the farmers they certainly found their bodies."
Onyx gos rides over takes a closer look at the bones.
"They're old. Worrying, yeah, but not worth our time. Wolf attacks happen all the time." Gravis was already walking past after giving the tracks and the bones a cursory glance. The bird descended for a moment and picked at the bones, seemingly uncaring about anyone else in the area. When it realized the marrow was already gone, it took to the sky again.
Onyx dismounts put on some loves and searches the body's, talking the staffs, then mounts again ready to carry on.
Kievan spends some time surveying the situation as well.
"We should press on. We need to find a good place to make camp before night falls." He says wheeling Bellator around impaitently scanning the surrounding foliage warily.
