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Dunno if you want us to fill any of these out? I'm gonna do one anyway
Player Name: Joel Wilkinson
Character Name: Belondia Silverbane
Character Number: 177471-5
Faction: Grand Lodge
Perception/Vision/Senses: Perception +5, Sense Motive +1, Low light vision
Initiative: +2
Day Job Roll: --
Any Notes (Re-rolls etc.):
Who's still missing?
It is the 4th of Neth, just as the winter winds are beginning to blow. This is the day, in the year 4535, when Ekat Kassen and his men set out from town to find Asar’s camp and deal with the mercenary.
This year’s quest for the Everflame is special: it has been 4 years since the mayor last decided to send a group of young heroes to the crypt. The adventure begins during a solemn ceremony in the town square, in which the characters are sent out to retrieve the Everflame. The mayor has invited each of you. You spend the morning with your family or mentor. Now you are ready to head to the town square.
The bells atop the Temple of Erastil toll their midday song, echoing throughout the quiet town of Kassen. As the peals begin to fade, the first of the townsfolk make their way into the square, dressed in black, as if attending a funeral. They slowly fill the square, moving quietly across the cold, hard ground, their eyes downcast and mournful. After a few moments, a murmur passes through the crowd as it slowly parts to let Mayor Uptal through. He leads the way with a tarnished silver lantern. Behind him, an old pony drags a cart laden with backpacks and supplies. Once he reaches the center of the crowd, Mayor Uptal stops and calls out to the assembled townsfolk.
“Once again the winter winds blow through the Fangwood, marking the end of another harvest. There are wolves in the woods, howling at our walls, and serpents in our shadows, waiting to strike. Just as it was one hundred and seventy-four years ago, when Kassen himself left these walls to protect us, so it is today. Where are the heroes? Where are the brave folk that will venture out to Kassen’s tomb and retrieve the flame to keep this community safe for another winter?”
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The stocky Dwarf stood in the crowd, listening as the cheers died down and the sole reason for the festival was announced. While the town elder spoke out to his people, Belondia shuffled through the crowd toward the gathering of funeral goers. Maybe it was tradition but he had to find out. He got close enough to the group to listen in on anything being said or find any clues to their behaviour.
After his snooping, the Dwarf, followed by his mighty pack, pushed his way out of the crowds of people, drew his Greataxe and slammed it's hilt into the floor before him.
"I'd consider it an honour to retrieve the Everflame and bring peace through another winter. But pray tell, what dangers do we seek once we're there? Or are we just to walk in, light a torch in the front room and leave?
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The two standing in the crowd surely aren't native to Nirmathas-- the bronze hue of the woman's skin speaks to warmer, more southern climes. That's to say nothing of her eyes, which smolder an unusual crimson...
Nevertheless, she grins and starts forward, slipping through the crowd.
"You had us at 'flame,' mayor," she wisecracks. At the solemn looks from the crowd she clears her throat and schools her face into a more serious expression.
"That is to say, though we were not born to your town, we would be honored to participate in your ritual, and to repay the hospitality that has been shown to us so far. My brother and I will lend our hands to this task."
She gives the dwarf a nod, and an assessing look. "You look to know your way around that blade, master dwarf. It's not so impressive if I do it with my daggers, but still. I'm at the town's service."
She was dressed in clothing better suited to a desert country than Kassen at this time of year, with scarred leather armor and a rucksack on her back. A few daggers were at her belt.
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The silver haired and bearded Dwarf turned to the crowd as the Ifrit shouted out her acceptance to the call. She made her speach and then addressed Belondia directly.
"There are very few things I judge in life, miss...?" He tookba brief pause in hopes she would will in the blank and continued to speak. "Someones choice of weapon is not one of those things. I've learned that the hard way in my early years. I intend to find myself all manner of weapon on my adventures. Even daggers."
Belondia walks toward his new ally and hold out his hand in friendship. Most people wouldn't meet such an open and honest, with no bounds of judgement. You cannot choose the circumstances of your birth, why hate an Elf when his race was not of his choosing? Same goes with anything else.
The mayor looks at each of you as you approach. "Who among you will accept the honor of carrying the lantern?"
He then hands each of you a backpack that contains 5 days’ worth of rations, a small tent, a winter blanket, a full waterskin, and a piece of a map. In addition, a pile of additional items for you to distribute: 50 feet of hempen rope, a box containing tinder and three tindertwigs, a labeled potion of cure light wounds, three torches, a grappling hook, and a small bottle of local brandy.
The mayor once again speaks to the townsfolk. “I present to you the brave heroes who will follow in Kassen’s footsteps to retrieve the Everflame! Some of them may not return, but I say to you that their sacrifice shall not be forgotten. Go, brave heroes, and do not return until you have the eternal fire.” With that, the mayor points to the south, the direction of Kassen’s tomb. The townsfolk begin waving goodbye with cold, solemn looks on most of their faces.
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Belondia directly addresses the town with a rather puzzled look upon his face. At a festival with such meaning, why are they so sad?
"Citizens of Kassen, won't someone please tell me why you all are so down? Should this celebration not bring joy and nostalgia to your heart's? If something ails you kind folk then please just ask."
The dwarf scans his head around the crowd and looks at the faces of each person as he does, leaving not one without eye contact. "Just as I feel honoured by your ritual, I also wish to repay your kindness. What has brought you all down and what can this lowly Dwarf do to help?"
Almost ignoring the offer of bearing this lantern, Belondia leaves the honour of that to his comrades who has already show her love of fire through her first comment.
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"Most folk call me Ember," the redheaded woman answers the dwarf, willingly taking his hand in greeting. Her own skin seems quite warm despite the winter air. "And my brother over there-- hey. Hey! CINDER!"
She says a few words in language other than Taldane, aimed at the man who resembles her in coloring and wardrobe. "وقف يحدق في السرة!"
"--well anyway, he's Cinder. And yourself?"
She grins brightly at the offered lantern, taking it from the mayor-- oh hey, whiskey too. This looks to be a good gig.
At the dwarf's question to the townspeople, she stage-whispers, "I think it's part of this historical recreation thing. Probably folk were depressed and morbid back then, too."
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"Oh! Wait, wait..Just, a minute..there..."
A rather tall and solidly built young woman is calling out as she tries to push her way through the crowd. As she clears the crescent of onlookers and begins to walk to the center she catches her foot on a man's leg and she stumbles, nearly falling head-first at the feet of the three other volunteers.
Righting herself, she stands in front of them with a wide smile plastered across her face. She is pale skinned with blond hair and wears scale mail that could use a polishing. The woman gives the others a quick little wave and says "Hello, I'm Vigny. I guess I'm a bit late, but I'm coming too."
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"Nice name you got there, Ember. I guess you could be right. Just put the supplies they gave us in my barrel. I have a wide variety of tools of helpful bits, we may as well keep them all together."
Belondia swings his barrel off of his pack and places it down onto the floor before giving the side of the barrel a quick chop and popping the lid open. He pawed at the tinder supplies, the Grappling hook and the three torches before sticking them in the container and placing the lid back on.
"There's no point sticking the rope in, someone want to grab that and the potion? If you need anything from the barrel then feel free to it."
The Dwarf replaced his barrel onto his back and stepped toward the new face who came bundling out the crowd.
"Well, Vigny, you definitely look eager. It's a pleasure to meet all three of you. Now should we begin?"
A few of the more morose townspeople suddenly start snickering. One outright laughs, and then covers his mouth. The giggles now under control, they put on straight faces again, but you see a slight smile crack from time to time.
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A lithe looking red-haired man carefully picks his way through the crowd, following after his sister. Red eyes scan the ground, making sure he doesn't plow over any short people or children. Scarred and travel-worn lamellar covers his torso, while baggy canvas pants threaten to catch on nearby by-standers.
"وقف يحدق في السرة!"
A quick jerk of his head shows eyes focused back on his sister, annoyed. سأحضر هناك في نهاية المطاف، على وجه السرعة
"We travelled for this job... to get a flame? Figures."
He turns and scans the crowd, acknowledging the dwarf's efforts to police the supplies.
"I think it's part of this historical recreation thing. Probably folk were depressed and morbid back then, too."
"I don't think they're playing, sis."
"Hello Vigny, Dwarf." Cinder grabs the rope as he speaks, coiling it around his shoulder and torso, "I go by Cinder. And as this is my sister's choice in work, I'm bound by familial duty to assist. No worries, however, as I am compelled to learn more about this Everflame."
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Belondia looks into the crowd with a raised eyebrow. Something just doesn't sit right. He turned to Cinder and and Vigny to shake their hands as he had Ember's, no use leaving them out.
"Something ain't right with these guys. We either find out or go I guess." He said only loud enough for his allies to hear. "What do you think?"
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Ember sticks her tongue out at her brother. "It's better than the last town we were in, stop complaining."
She greets Vigny cheerfully. "Don't worry, we haven't started yet. What is it you do, eh? Our dwarven friend here, whose name I haven't heard, looks fierce with that axe, whereas I'm more likely to slap someone. Cinder just gives people lectures on responsibility."
Ember looks skeptical at the notion that there's something 'up' with the townsfolk. "This is their big remembrance ritual, from what the mayor said. Of course they're solemn at it."
"Anyway-- gear. I've got my own rope and such-- Cinder, you can carry it, this pack's damned heavy." She flashes an irritating grin at her more muscular brother as she passes off some gear in his direction.
"I like to be able to move light. Say, Vigny-- or Master Nameless Dwarf-- do either of you know how to use this wand here? I st-- acquired it in Qadira as we were passing through. Supposedly it heals people if you say 'By Sun's Light!' and touch someone with it, but I've never figured out how to make it work."
That done, Ember picks up the piece of the map from the mayor's supplies and scrutinizes it. "So where're we going anyhow..."
Ember overhears a few comments made nearby, and starts to put together clues from her short stay in this town. This ceremony is usually a right of passage for locals, and the somber mood is meant to scare them a bit - just for fun. These people really aren't this solemn, but are pretending for dramatics.
In fact, among the comments heard, she picks up on some of the folk discussing that the "preparations at the tomb are ready". Apparently, this is sort of a test - like setting up a haunted house for teenagers to go explore.
You sense no malice - in fact, you now recognize that this is meant to be an honor that they have chosen you this year instead of the typical local kids. These people do no believe you are headed to anything dangerous - simply all in good fun.
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Ember tilts her head to the crowd's whispers, then chuckles.
"There's a conspiracy alright-- a harmless one. It's usually the local youth doing this-- it's set up to make 'em think it's all serious as everything. Likely they're setting up some sorta test for the sprogs. Well, maybe they didn't have any kids the right age for it this year! I say we go prove our coming of age," she says with a snicker, as she's seventy years old herself-- and looks fabulous, thank you.
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"How rude of me, My name is Belondia Silverbane. My family spread across the world seeking fame and glory. Oh and can't forget the gold, haha." He grins, then laughs, then laughs a little more, until he realises it wasn't that funny... "But before we became Adventurers we were undead hunters."
The Dwarf began to wander in the direction of the tomb, expecting the rest of the company to follow and continued with his story. Well it wasn't originally a story, but off he went anyway.
"My great Grandfather, Belondia, from whom I took the name was once tasked with the eradication of an entire isle once swarming with undead. But to make matters worse any living being that fell dead to the ground would simply push himself back up and fight against his former allies as a mindless puppet!"
Belondia's ramblings will continue either until the party get there, he forgets what he's saying or anyone interrupts. Only then will he realise how long he's been dithering on.
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Cinder holds out his hand as Ember talks about gear, already knowing that he's going to end up carrying her stuff again. As he sets to fitting her backpack on himself, practiced hands adjust straps marked with blue ink lines.
"When you're right, you're right Faiza." he says as the crowd snickers. "When they're done acting, maybe you can find out who Kassen was, and what he did for the town?"
" I say we go prove our coming of age."
Cinder grins, "لقد حان الوقت"
"Well met, Belondia."
Cinder follows alongside the dwarf, listening to his tales patiently.
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A few of the more morose townspeople suddenly start snickering. One outright laughs, and then covers his mouth. The giggles now under control, they put on straight faces again, but you see a slight smile crack from time to time.
Vigny isn't sure what the laughter from the crowd is about, but laughter is infectious. She starts to giggle along with them despite not knowing what's funny.
She greets Vigny cheerfully. "Don't worry, we haven't started yet. What is it you do, eh? Our dwarven friend here, whose name I haven't heard, looks fierce with that axe, whereas I'm more likely to slap someone. Cinder just gives people lectures on responsibility."
Vigney gives the others a broad smile and says "Hello, Hello, my name is Vigny Halgarsdottir. I am an acolyte of Cayden the Accidental God. I fight for his causes." as she shakes hands vigorously with Ember, Cinder, and Belondia. Her grip is surprisingly firm.
She offers to take the brandy under her care, as well as any of the other supplies that need to be parceled out for carrying.
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Ember flashes her white grin at Belondia at his offering his name, and at Vigny as well, giving the tall young woman a handshake back. Ember is not terribly tall-- just a hair or two over five feet. She offers Vigny the wand cheerfully. "Now I expect to get healed first," she jokes. "Cayden, eh? There's a god I can get behind..."
Making sure that all the supplies the mayor had offered have been divvied to the stronger people in the group, Ember sets off humming after the dwarf, occasionally rolling her eyes at the long stories and offering Vigny winks here and there-- she knows already her brother is FAR TOO BORING to return them.
"We can learn all about the town's history when we get back as triumphant heroes," she says with only minimal interest in such. Ember prefers the future to the past, and moves along at a sprightly clip. She doesn't think there's going to be any serious threats ahead-- after all, as far as she knows, this is a milk run for the local teenagers, with 'threats' set up by villagers that aren't met to actually hurt a soul.
Perhaps later she may regret not asking further questions, but, well, an overabundance of caution has never been among Ember's flaws.
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Vigny hadn't payed too much attention to the specifics of what the festival is about or why it exists, so she doesn't really know where they're going or what they will be doing. Still, there was some adventure and excitement implied in it all and that's always very nice. Besides, she loves a good walk.
Her new traveling companions are an interesting lot. The dwarf talks a lot, but he doesn't seem to insist on replies or attention to what he's saying so that's fine. The two siblings are rather more difficult to figure. Obviously they are from somewhere... else. Both geographically and physically. She figures she'll have to ask about that sometime when it seems polite to do so.
The boy doesn't say much. He seems a milder personality, going with the flow. The sister seems to be more in charge of things, more kinetic and animated. She occasionally smiles or winks at her for reasons Vigny doesn't quite understand. Vigny returns the smiles and winks since that seems to be the correct way to respond.
Is she showing that she's attracted to me? Hm, never really considered a girl before, and she's quite tiny. But she is just cute as a bug. I guess I'll see what happens. Or maybe she's excited because I know how to use the wand? Does she think I know something secret that I don't? Well, I'm sure that whatever it is, it will work itself out.
You head out, following the map. After about 2 hours of walking, the narrow path winds through the raking claws of the trees, now bereft of their leaves, which crunch loudly underfoot. Up ahead, a fallen tree trunk blocks the path. Suddenly a trio of snarling humanoids leaps up from behind the log, all greenish skin and fearsome tusks, bellowing vulgar challenges.
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Belondia's ramblings silenced immediately as he ran to the front of his rank and drew his great axe and readied an attack on which ever was stupid enough to move toward him first.
"Go ahead punk! Make my day!" He shouted as he brought his arms back, waiting to power attack.
No Dwarf should fear an orc, they should fear the Dwarf, but there's no sense in just mindlessly killing then, it's all about beating them down as they run up... It's slightly more degrading.
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"Strike where least expected. Strike first. Strike hard." the lessons learned in the Pits come back instantly as Cinder reflexively moves to engage.
"Step to the future" he whispers to himself as he dodges between two of the orcs.
As he steps by, he ducks to drive an elbow into one of the orcs knees.
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Cinder fails to penetrate the orcs armor, and they gang up on him, swinging might greataxes. He quickly falls from massive wounds.
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Ember stands frozen a moment, her glib smile at this cheerful little hike through the woods stuck in a rictus on her face. She stares at the body of her brother on the ground.
"Nad-- Nadij?"
Her bronzed skin looking distinctly grey now, she runs forward, jumping to savagely kick the orc with the green belt in the back of his skull. An incoherent scream tears from her throat as her foot connects.
Ember's anger is obvious as she kicks the orc in the back of his head, causing a few teeth to fly out.
Actually, you crumple to the ground, and then realize you are not hurt. You seem to be fine. And then you realize, these orcs are not real, but some sort of illusion. Feel free to play it up.
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Vigny finds herself quite behind as events quickly unfold. When the orcs had jumped out in front of them, she'd expected there would be the usual attempts at a parlay or exchanges of insults. Instead everyone went straight at it.
And it had not gone particularly well for them. A couple of orcs were wounded but the brother of the siblings was cut down immediately. Normally she would have led with a spell to bolster her allies or herself, but there was no time for that. Well, nothing left to go at it.
Vigny readies her sword and buckler and moves in to attack, trying to flank in place of the girl's fallen brother.
Vigny just misses the orc she was targeting.