As Jellena, Joe, Delman, Ryada, and Markas get up to leave the table he perks up and asks, "We go too?"
As Niversal likely says no, he begins to whine but with a few pets he stops and lays back down. Watching them leave him behind.
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As Jellena, Joe, Delman, Ryada, and Markas get up to leave the table he perks up and asks, "We go too?"
As Niversal likely says no, he begins to whine but with a few pets he stops and lays back down. Watching them leave him behind.
With Ed's whine she would go over and asks Niversal, "Can I please pet him?" With permission she would pet him a few times and tell him, "I will be gone for a day. Maybe a little bit more than that. We will be back!" Her last statement more hopeful than the others and she offers her hand to Niversal for a handshake.
"Don't tarry and get the rituals done. I will hold down the fort until you get back." She reassures Joe more than anyone putting a hand on his shoulder. She winks at Jellena and goes back to her seat before the alter.
King Joseph sighs with relief at Merlynn's calming touch. "Again. Thank you, Merlynn."
"Dear lord, what have I wrought upon this unsuspecting world? " John muses at the sheer chaos the app he wished for created. "It's a dangerous thing if it can summon undead, what if it was a type that could create spawn? Back at my old gaming table we had a joke about an apocalypse item called [url=https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/a-b/bottle-of-shadows/]the jug of shadows.[/url What if this could do something like that?"
His shoulders slump.
"And that's a lot of pushups to do in a single day!
He pulls his cloak around him as they make their way out of the camp and through the snow. He was glad that he had changed into the clothes of this land. "Perhaps it doesn't summon those types of creatures? Maybe the developers put some sort of safety mechanism. Who knows."
I think Markas is from earth but lost his memory. He whispers through his ring.
"I'm coming. I want to see this city."
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Niversal gets up and says come on Ed we go too and Niversal follows along. yes if Ed says he likes you, then you are good in my book and you may pet him, also Joe offered me a better bow and I am considering looking into the racial change thing plus I need the level ritual, and finally I have no rank in the army and no reason to hang out anywhere unless I am officially helping you all
Entering into the outpost after Jellena you find a bit warmer as the breeze is not on you anymore. You find empty rooms with furniture. There is eventually a stairway up, then down, also more hallways. Jellena rushes down and then you hear more slicing. Then you hear her praying to the Mistress and a blast of a channel comes up the stairs.
Soon enough four more blasts are let loose and she is coming up the stairs. "Clear of skeletons," she states and then the group eventually finds the magical waypoint.
Delman and Jellena pull out stones and asks the group to touch the giant orb. Then a flash of magic and you are in a different room but still touching a waypoint. Jellena leads the group up and through sealed doors, the guards kneel at your appearance. Climbing the stairs you find yourselves in a temple.
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"John, don't take it too serious. Think positive, think of what wonder it might bring. We will find out. Plus anything it can create I am sure we can destroy." She says with a beaming smile.
"Once we get you a youthful bodily draught you should be able to get it done in a few hours. Though I would agree 1,000 does seem absurd. Maybe it means a hundred. I hope there is a decimal spot we are not seeing..." She agrees at the huge amount the quest is asking them to do. Then she drops and does a half pushup and looks at her app again. Then a full pushup. "Oh thank goodness it counts a pushup with your knees on the ground as a half. There is a decimal in there! At least for the top three... we still need to run 5 K."
She whispers back into her ring, "Serill I agree with you, some memories are coming back."
"Joe, what rank do we hold as Night Hawks? Knights? I can't remember." She says into the ring as she moves further into the outpost. Trying to find the stairs down.
"Joe, what rank do we hold as Night Hawks? Knights? I can't remember." She says into the ring as she moves further into the outpost. Trying to find the stairs down.
Joe could definitely sense the change of location as they teleported. The air was immediately fresher, with no taint of the the gallons of blood the fort had.
"Rank?" The paladin questioned. "Do you mean in Mr. Hillfoot's Tempest Wolves? In Avalon, The Night Hawks have no rank outside of being The King's favored adventuring group. I intend of knighting all original members of The Night Hawks at my coronation. Newer members will have to earn that privilege", the young monarch said sternly."Now, the youthful bodily draught Jellena is talking about is a kind of 'signing bonus' to become a member of The Mistress's familia", Jo explained. "The youthful bodily draught is a potion Mistressians are renown for. The magic potion returns you to your physical peak, and affects others differently. For example, I believe if John took the draught, he may not feel anything other than a strong sense of renewal, but I think if Niversal took the draught, he'll be transformed into the greatest version of himself twenty years or so ago." If any new party members start to give Joe strange second glances, the young human paladin confesses. "I'm actually 46. I have a driver's license in my wallet that doesn't look like me anymore."
"You can choose to not be a member of The Mistress's familia, and still be a member of The Night Hawks. It is your choice and I will support that choice. But speaking as a familia member, any perceived drawbacks are washed away by all the benefit's The Goddess grants. The feeling of knowing The Mistress of Life and Death has your back is an amazing comfort."
"The thing is, as The Mistress's familia, we are privy to many of The Goddess's mortal secrets. Secrets that could cause jealous and possibly conflict with other faiths should they come out. If you decide to not join The Mistress's famila, but still wish to be a member of The Night Hawks, I would ask that a oath of secrecy be given."
Near the back of the group, Joe notices Delman consoling a glum elven bard. The paladin slows his steps to retreat back to his fellow paladin. In a low tone, Joe asks, "Ryada? Delman? Is everything okay? You two have been real quiet."
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as long as drinking it does not constitute worship but support and that will not interfere with also being in the familia with Apollo then I would like that potion, but only if Ed can have one too. Besides I was doing hundreds of push ups a day in my twenties. Niversal says looking around laughing a bit at the thought.
"100 each and a 5k run. Not impossible at all. Just very difficult."
He loosens his cloak as they enter the outpost, thankful for the shelter from the wind. He peers into the rooms, wondering how furnished and well-kept an abandoned outpost could be. "Evnek arcaniss." Detect Magic might reveal something about this place.
"Skeletons here. I hate to think what infests other abandoned waypoints." After a few seconds of examining the waypoints orb through his magical sight, he touched the orb and blinked.
"That was fast. I forgot to ask if there were any side effects. How do you know a waypoint is safe to use? Or not damaged if that is even possible?" He inquires, mostly ignorant but trying to learn more.
"I am just happy to be of use to Avalon's great king." He says when Joe mentions earning privileges and Familias. "Is there a familia for every god? Or other types of familias?"
"I am just happy to be of use to Avalon's great king." He says when Joe mentions earning privileges and Familias. "Is there a familia for every god? Or other types of familias?"
Joe smiles and bows at the compliment. "Yes, as far as we know, every god has a familia here on Arcanium. We've met an older gentlemen named Spade, who is a member of Cayden Cailean's familia. And then there's Lady Kol, who is a member of Hera's familia."
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"I think there is only familias to gods. At least to my limited knowledge." She states in response to Serill, adding, "No side effects to the waypoints to our knowledge. You can only travel to a waypoint you have discovered. Its location is stored inside of these orbs." She raises the orb that she had pressed to the waypoint.
"If you come into the fold you can have your own orb, just in case. Though I have been told they are very rare." She states.
Then to Niversal she looks at you a bit concerned and lays out how it would be, "Drinking the draught would not necessarily be worship, though joining a familia you practically are already doing that. Since you are going to the familia of Apollo, I would suggest getting to know them before joining them. Also the draught is the signon bonus with the Mistress familia. I don't know what their bonus will be. Also if I remember Apollo is a jerk. Just saying. If you joined us I am sure I could come up with an extra draught for Ed."
It's disconcerting how cheery these people are! The way that Joe talked about joining the Mistress's familia bothered him, seeming almost fanatical. But this is a fantastical world he reminded himself. Perhaps things really are just like that here.
This certainly seems like a pretty huge decision! I think I might wait somewhat, to try and see what god really speaks to me, maybe literally you know? I was pretty agnostic back home. But I have no allegiances here, no loyalty to anyone."
He pauses for a second.
"Well, except for the people who outfitted me, and fought by my side. I swear to keep any secrets that might cause harm to befall any of them. Speaking of stuff, I really should probably upgrade past leather or something!
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"Oh Joe! I don't think I haven't properly introduced myself to them!" She says with a sarcastic tone. Then she takes a moment to compose herself and then re-introduces herself, "Greetings all I am the high priestess of the Mistress, Oracle and speaker of her dark lips, Chosen and High Daughter, and if you would like to meet the Mistress of Life and Death you must merely ask. Though such a meeting might take a heavy toll upon your being." Her cloak elongates out to be a robe and you can see what would be the night sky with bright lights punctuating it like stars.
"The Mistress is Neutral in nearly all things. Her areas of concern are birth, death, fate, and prophecy. Her domains are Death, Healing, Knowledge, Repose, and Water. Her favored weapon is the scythe. Her sacred colors are black and white. As the goddess of death and rebirth, she abhors the undead and considers them a perversion. She is the matron to death knights and paladins. Those infused to destroy undead. You might think it strange but she would use a paladin as a divine weapon to destroy undead."
"As I have attained this position it was just natural for the others to join the familia as well. The Mistress is one of the few gods who has kept her divine essence in the plane between this life and the next. As such if you would like to speak with her just let me know."
"Come John, you should meet Castria, Delman's love, she is our personal outfitter. Oh wait she is at the Library. Well we can see what the temple has in stock. Come, come." She says casually as if she didn't just throw a major stake in your face.
She just dropped a huge revelation on me, and then just went back to being her usual self. I guess I'm not that in love with undead, so there's some mutual ideals there.
"I read a lot of Lovecraft back home, when you say heavy toll on my being, from a scale from a mild headache to Randolph Carter, how bad we talking here?"
Serill though to himself that it might be wise to avoid seeking out the Mistress. Though since he believed she was the one who gave him his first wish and sent him here, hopefully she would not harm him. He did want to get his hands on one of the Waypoint orbs though. Fascinating.
"Are we far from New Faces now?"
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"Randolph Carter? From a scale from a mild headache and bleeding from your orifices somewhere in between them. If you want to meet the Mistress in a ritual of offering, then likely below a head ache but that also requires that you intend on joining the familia." She relays to John and then addresses Serill's question, "We are actually in New Faces. If you want you can head up those stairs there, look for the big doors at the South end of the building and that will lead out into New Faces."
Getting to the armory she looks at what is available and asks, "John come here and let me take a look at you. To see what armor might be best for you." A few minutes later she nods and collects some suits of armor and offers them, "Try these on!"
She just shrugs and avoids eye contact with Joe.
"Was it the bloodbath we just came from?" Joe inquired. "I guess it wasn't too dissimilar from the circumstances where you first met us." The young monarch put a sympathetic hand on the elf's shoulder.
"A little bit... I just feel like I need to train. To be more effective. As I fought... I went back to my electrical attacks as the others are harder to get through defenses. Also a lack of proper equipment." She relays.
"Well, your electrical attacks are quite accurate. There was many chances for misfires, but no one got zapped who didn't deserve it." Joe consoled.
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Ed and I were thankful for your contribution to be sure. We would also like to take the potion and also I would like to have the count o gain a new racial ability and then I was hoping to get that bow you offered. I would be happy to offer Ed and I to officially join your efforts but I must say I think my next wish will be to bring my wife here with me Niversal says.
"That's true but I feel like I can contribute more. We will see." She relents her disappointment to Joe and Delman directly and the others who might hear her.
"Ed and I were thankful for your contribution to be sure. We would also like to take the potion and also I would like to have the count o gain a new racial ability and then I was hoping to get that bow you offered."
"Sure thing, Niversal. I can offer it to you when we get back to Camelot, where it currently is," smiled Joe.
"I would be happy to offer Ed and I to officially join your efforts but I must say I think my next wish will be to bring my wife here with me, Niversal says.
The breath in King Joseph's throat got stuck. The paladin stared into space for several moments, hit by the revelation to wish for his wife, his Cyndy, to join him in his adventure in Arcanium, and what that would entail. It felt like the Universe just punched him in the gut.
"Um," Joe coughed, trying to use cohesive thoughts and words. "Ah. But what ab.." The holy warrior searched his mind for a way to respond like a man dying of thirst grasping for water in a just emptied tub. 'Ah..I gotta go."Joe walked past everyone to make the trek to New Faces, lost in thought.
Joe's mind felt more at ease when he walked into the temple proper. the paladin greeted any clergy or layman he met in the halls warmly. Here, he wasn't the ruler of the largest country in the world. Here he was a warrior of The Mistress, slayer of undead.
Still, Joe knew he'd have to choose his words correctly when Niversal brought up the subject of bringing his wife to Arcanium again. After greeting everyone, Joe patiently waited for Jellena to be free so the rituals could begin.
"Oh, a chainshirt! Perfection, just like dad used to make." John happily swaps his armor around.
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Once she makes sure it fits and the other armor is in its place she leaves some coins behind. As she and John leave the armory to go find the rest of the group.
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"John and Serill you should hear this too. Niversal, let's take this one step at a time, would you like to join the Familia of the Mistress? If so then we can begin a ritual of offering. For us joining the Night Hawks and joining the Familia of the Mistress was practically the same thing though you can have one without the other. Opposed to what Joe said, I would prefer if you were both. The ritual is very tiring for me so I will only be doing it at most once per week. So the three of you should ask your questions and also go see what other familias have to offer. We should meet here for dinner so you can discuss and work on your decisions. If you need longer that will be fine, but should the call come for our aid at the pass we will likely leave you behind. You don't need to do the ritual of leveling as technically it is your first time." She says trying to explain and put it out plainly.
He has always been within eye sight of Joe. At the talk of joining he would quickly say, "Yes I need to join!" Seeing that is excitement was likely met with not so positive reviews he would listen. Once Jellena put it out plainly he nods letting the others say what they would first and then ask Joe, "What drew you to the Mistress?"
"Good luck with the new recruits! I am going to do the leveling ritual and train!" She says with upbeat words and scurried off. She talks with one of the priests and then goes upstairs.
Once Jellena put it out plainly he nods letting the others say what they would first and then ask Joe, "What drew you to the Mistress?"
"Hmm. Good question. It's a long story." Joe offered a pew both could share as he relayed his story. "Initially, the draw wasn't so much a personal connection, but an over-insistent oracle", the holy warrior craned his neck over at Jellena, then stopped himself. "Wait! That's not entirely true. When I first arrived on Arcanium, I was first introduced to my reward for choosing to defend Arcanium, the legendary holy avenger, Escalavar. When he first made himself clear, Escalavar said he was dedicated to the destruction of evil undead. Later when Jellena would tell me more of The Mistress's tenets, many of them matched my views: mainly the preservation and mysteries of Life and Death."
Joe continued. "Even after I took the vows of familia to The Mistress, I slowly realized that I have been following The Mistress and her teachings, before I came to Arcanium. The Mistress has been fair and generous to me and the rest of the familia since we joined. And you really have a sense that The Mistress really has your back as part of her familia. Not the distance feeling other faiths have with their deities."|
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As Joe craned his neck towards her she smiled and waved at the two. Then she went back to answering questions.
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At Ed's insistence of more food she pulls out a box from her robes. It looks like a microwave. Then she asks, "Niversal, what should I make for him. Ed would you like steak, dog food, burritos or something else?"
She snickers at the comment of 'orc' then corrects the dog, "Yes you ate orc at the fort. But really you should not say that. I will introduce you to different animals and the food that comes from them. Perhaps we start with steak." With that she punches in a few numbers and opens the door on the box revealing four thick juicy steaks. One is uncooked, one is rare, one has a bit of pink in the middle, and the last one is well done.
He nods at the reasons and then asks another question, "Chosen means you came from another world before. What can you tell me about it? At least about Star Wars?"
Ed happily greets everyone and anyone with a light nose touch and a furious wag of his tail. He has been keeping busy and comes back quietly asking, "More food?!"
He first looks to Niversal but with no response he would say, "Meat! Maybe orc?"
Joe thought before answering Markas questions. "It was called Earth. I know. Not the most imaginative name, but that's the one that stuck."
"Earth has many of the same environments Arcanium has: deserts, jungles, forests, oceans, and the like. And like Arcanium, Earth's continents had many different countries, populated exclusively with humans. Elves, dwarves, halfings, orcs: these were all races of legend, races that may have lived on Earth long ago or only lived in stories. Earth's technology level is many ways more advanced than Arcanium, with Avalon being the exception, where Avalon turned to magic to advance society instead of science. I believe magic exists on Earth, but it is no where as easy or it is to access and use than here on Arcanium."
"Now Star Wars is based on several stories written of an even more technological society that Earth, but still had access to magic, what the people in the stories call The Force. Like the tales of Camelot, Star Wars has many great heroes and villains, with Jedis, like Jellena, seen as the ultimate force for good in that galaxy."
"Sure. Don't want to get lost now." He says to Delman who offered to show him around.
"I feel like I will join the Mistress' familia Jellena. I'm no paladin," he chuckled in remembrance of past things, "but some of those attributes about her also resonate with me. Is this where the leveling ritual is too?" He gestures to the temple.
The Ranger comes up behind Joe and makes his declaration. "I would greatly appreciate that, Niversal." The paladin holds out his hand to shake on it.
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Niversal shakes Joe's hand and says I fought for eighteen years of my life over four continents Joe. I am a combat professional. I will serve the people and this place well so that others may have peace and safety. Niversal nods then and says Ed and I are ready for this ritual. I don't do anything half a way Jelly Bean
"The Force... that sounds familiar. Jedi... a knight of the force and of balance..." He says rubbing his head in response to Joe's word.
"Can I talk to her, and make my decision from there? I'm sorry, it's just an awfully big commitment. I've been hung over before, I'll face the consequences."